Climate Change Adaptation: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Congress has debated the significance of global climate change and what federal policies, if any, should be adopted to address it. Federal policies may focus on climate change adaptation—actions taken to avoid the consequences or capture the benefits of climate change—or climate change mitigation—interventions to reduce the sources or increase the sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Policies focused on adaptation can reduce risks associated with climate change at federal agencies (including risks to infrastructure, operations, and mission delivery), including at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Given that agriculture and forestry are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, adaptation policies are particularly important for these sectors. Agriculture and forestry are sensitive to climate change, due to relationships between environmental conditions and the health and growth of plants and animals. Policy choices about practices, technologies, and programs can help determine how effectively the agriculture and forestry sectors adapt to climate change. While farmers, ranchers, and land managers continuously adapt to changing conditions, responses to climate change may require new management practices and technologies. Many policies, programs, and activities at USDA address climate adaptation issues specific to agriculture and forestry. USDA provides federal programs and services related to forestry, farming, ranching, rural development, food, and other areas through its agencies and staff offices. Many USDA agencies and offices conduct programs and activities that address climate change adaptation with respect to their unique missions. At the department level, the Climate Change Program Office (CCPO) coordinates USDA’s response to climate change, and the USDA Climate Hubs work to connect climate adaptation research and practice. CCPO, a component of the Office of the Chief Economist, coordinates within USDA and with other federal agencies and international organizations. As such, it oversees USDA climate change adaptation planning, chairs the USDA-wide Global Change Task Force, oversees departmental GHG accounting, represents USDA to the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), and directs international climate change initiatives. The USDA Climate Hubs are a departmental initiative involving several USDA agencies. The 10 regional hubs provide technical support to agricultural producers and landowners, assess and monitor production risks, conduct research, and engage with stakeholders regarding the effects of climate change on agriculture and forests. USDA agencies that engage on climate change adaptation include those focused on natural resources and conservation (the U.S. Forest Service [FS] and the Natural Resources Conservation Agency [NRCS]); research (the Agricultural Research Service [ARS], the National Institute of Food and Agriculture [NIFA], the Economic Research Service [ERS], and the National Agricultural Statistics Service [NASS]); and production, marketing, and regulatory activities (the Farm Service Agency [FSA], the Risk Management Agency [RMA], and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [APHIS]). Other USDA agencies may address climate change adaptation in more limited ways. FS and NRCS play an outsized role in climate change adaptation activities at USDA. Together, their mandates cover approximately 1.5 billion acres of land, including national forests, national grasslands, and privately owned agricultural land. FS manages the National Forest System, conducts forestry research, and provides technical and financial assistance to state, private, and international forestry agencies. These responsibilities increase its presence in climate change activities beyond those of most other agencies at USDA. NRCS develops and delivers voluntary conservation technical assistance and financial support programs. USDA strategies for climate change adaptation rely heavily on these NRCS activities. Considerations for Congress may include the funding of USDA agencies and programs, the voluntary nature of programs that address climate change adaptation, opportunities to incentivize adaptive decisions, USDA staffing levels and leadership positions, concerns about the independence of climate science at USDA, and the design of USDA risk management programs. Congress may choose to address these issues through exercising its appropriations and oversight responsibilities or through new authorizations or directives.