Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture

Supporting producers to increase productivity, strengthen markets, and improve climate resilience.

The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture incentivizes and rewards farmers and ranchers for adopting climate-smart agricultural practices.

Under the three-year, $80-million pilot program, the Alliance and its partners will help producers in Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Virginia prove the value of paying farmers and ranchers $100 per acre or animal unit for stewardship practices — delivering public value through carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction, improved soil health, water quality, water conservation, and other vital ecosystem services.  Led by Virginia Tech, the Alliance is supported by USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities with participation from more than 14 state and national partners.

🌾 What Is Climate-Smart Agriculture?

Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture

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The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture incentivizes and rewards farmers and ranchers for adopting climate-smart agricultural practices.

Under the three-year, $80-million pilot program, the Alliance and its partners will help producers in Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Virginia prove the value of paying farmers and ranchers $100 per acre or animal unit for stewardship practices — delivering public value through carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction, improved soil health, water quality, water conservation, and other vital ecosystem services.

The Alliance is open to farmers and ranchers within select Soil and Water Conservation Districts in participating states.  The pilot design, including the structure of producer incentive payments, was developed by Rural Investment to Protect the Environment (RIPE), a coalition of farmers, ranchers, agricultural trade associations and environmental organizations advancing a national policy that invests in rural America by enabling producers to earn a fair return for implementing voluntary conservation practices. RIPE was a founding member of the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture.

Led by Virginia Tech, the Alliance is supported by USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities with participation from more than 14 state and national partners.

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About the Pilot

Over three years, the Alliance will enroll an estimated 4,400-4,800 operations across Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Virginia. If scaled up nationally, the program could help producers reduce agricultural emissions by 55% and total emissions in the United States by 8% after 10 years.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G102. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this web publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
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Partner States

The pilot is open to producers eligible producers in Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Virginia.  Our partners were selected based on their experience and expertise working with producers and landowners,  as well as promoting climate-smart commodities.

Staff + Leadership

Find out more about our team, based at Virginia Tech.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to your questions about the pilot including eligibility for farmers and ranchers, approved conservation practices, and Virginia Tech’s research agenda.