Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee Charge Topic 2022 - 2024
BACKGROUND
EPA established the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC) in 2007 to provide independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to the Administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agricultural and rural communities. Committee members include representatives from academia, industry (e.g., agriculture and allied industries), non-governmental organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments. The FRRCC's charge topics are issued by the EPA Administrator.
CHARGE
Advancing Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for U.S. Agriculture
America’s farmers and ranchers find themselves on the front lines of the climate crisis. Severe storms, widespread flooding, prolonged drought, and more frequent wildfires are creating unprecedented risks to our food system. These extreme weather events threaten to erode agricultural productivity even while global population surges toward 10 billion people by mid-century.
The FRRCC is charged with considering how EPA’s tools and programs can best support and advance the U.S. agriculture sector’s climate mitigation and adaptation goals. By identifying voluntary, incentive-based opportunities; public-private partnerships; and market-based approaches, EPA can support farmers and ranchers in their efforts to reduce emissions, sequester carbon, and accelerate a more resilient food and agriculture system.
The FRRCC should evaluate the Agency’s policies and programs at the nexus of agriculture and climate change. Specific topics may include:
- Alternative manure management systems and other methane reduction practices
- Improved quantification of greenhouse gas emissions reductions from low-carbon biofuels
- Climate and water quality co-benefits from nutrient management practices
- Strategies to achieve EPA and USDA’s goal of halving food loss and waste by 2030
- Research and regulatory responses to evolving pest pressures due to climate change
- Water management and reuse strategies to address water scarcity
The FRRCC’s recommendations should be rooted in EPA’s foundational value of scientific integrity with a commitment to ensuring environmental stability for all communities.