Final week to submit USDA climate comments

It’s the final week for hemp operators to suggest carbon-reducing cultivation practices to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The U.S. government is looking to farmers to help the nation mitigate the effects of global warming. The USDA will be designing a grants program to fund “climate-smart” pilot projects that can be tracked to measure carbon benefits.

The work is especially interesting to hemp producers looking for government support for the carbon-sequestering plant.

“Through extreme weather, drought and fire, our agriculture producers are on the frontlines of climate change,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

The USDA says it is seeking input specifically on:

  • The current state of climate-smart commodity markets.
  • Systems for quantification.
  • Options and criteria for evaluation.
  • Use of information collected.
  • Potential protocols.
  • Options for review and verification.
  • Inclusion of historically underserved communities.

Comments are due Nov. 1.