Amman, JORDAN, May 10, 2015 - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Jordan Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury, today signed an agreement to support agricultural development and trade in Jordan.

"Jordan is one of our most effective, capable and steadfast partners not only in the Middle East, but around the world," Vilsack said. "USDA's food assistance will be used to relieve some of the economic burden that Jordan is facing as a result of the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who've been displaced because of the Syrian civil war."

Through the Food for Progress Program, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service will provide the government of Jordan with 100,000 metric tons of U.S. wheat, valued at approximately $25 million. The Jordanian government will use proceeds from the sale of the commodities to implement projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity and stimulating economic growth.

"The Obama administration remains committed to investing in the creation of economic stability and opportunity in the Middle East," Vilsack said. "As we have done in the past with Jordan and around the world, U.S. produced commodities will not only feed people but enhance agricultural productivity and trade."

The Food for Progress Program is a cornerstone in USDA's efforts to support sustainable agricultural production in developing nations and promote agricultural trade. The program helps developing countries and emerging democracies modernize and strengthen their agricultural sectors.

USDA's food aid programs contribute to the goals of President Obama's global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. In fiscal year 2014, nearly 223,337 individuals in the Feed the Future countries and regions received USDA's agricultural productivity or food security training.

Visit www.fas.usda.gov/programs/food-progress to learn more about USDA's Food for Progress Program.

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Local Coalitions Can Now Apply for Funding to Improve Soil Health, Preserve Clean Water, Combat Drought, Protect Wildlife Habitat

DENVER, Colo., May 4, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today an investment of up to $235 million to improve the nation's water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. The funding is being made available through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), the newest conservation tool of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

RCPP, created by the 2014 Farm Bill, empowers local leaders to work with multiple partners?such as private companies, local and tribal governments, universities, non-profit groups and other non-government partners?along with farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to design solutions that work best for their region. Local partners and the federal government both invest funding and manpower to projects to maximize their impact. This will be the second round of projects funded through RCPP. The RCPP program helps USDA build on already-record enrollment in conservation programs, with over 500,000 producers participating to protect land and water on over 400 million acres nationwide.

"This is a new, innovative approach to conservation," said Vilsack. "This initiative allows local partners the opportunity to design and invest in conservation projects specifically tailored for their communities. These public-private partnerships can have an impact that's well beyond what the Federal government could accomplish on its own. These efforts keep our land and water clean, and promote tremendous economic growth in agriculture, construction, tourism, and other industries."

Vilsack continued, "We had tremendous interest from local partners when we first launched this program last year. In this new round of applications, we'll be looking for even greater emphasis on expanding partnerships that break down barriers, work across boundaries, leverage resources and create new opportunities for innovation."

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement at a signing ceremony in Denver for the Colorado Pressurized Small Hydropower Partnership Project, a 2015-funded project that focuses on water quantity resource concerns in Colorado. The project, which will receive $1.8 million in NRCS support alongside local partner investments, will facilitate the conversion of flood irrigation systems to more resource-efficient pressurized irrigation systems with integrated hydropower.

"USDA continues to look for new opportunities to address drought across the West. RCPP projects like this one in Colorado highlight the work the NRCS is doing with partners to increase efficiency while supporting production," Vilsack said.

In January, USDA delivered first round funding to 115 high-impact projects, including the Colorado project, across all 50 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

One of these projects, "Securing Private Working Forests to Benefit Longleaf Pine, Threatened and Endangered Species, and Military Readiness," will restore approximately 20,000 acres of longleaf near as many as seven military installations across the country through the purchase of conservation easements. The project will enhance longleaf forests while also increasing the forested buffer around military bases. Longleaf forests produce valuable products, such as high quality wood and pulpwood for paper, that are important to rural economies. Also, these forests are home to many rare species, and by restoring the habitat on which they depend, their populations will grow.

Another project, "The Tri-State Western Lake Erie Basin Phosphorous Reduction Initiative" brings together more than 40 partnering organizations from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to reduce the runoff of phosphorous to waterways in the western basin of Lake Erie. The lake has suffered from nutrient pollution for years, including last year's water crisis that left 400,000 residents in the Toledo, Ohio area without water to drink, bathe or cook. From providing clean drinking water to employing thousands of people in the tourism industry, the health of Lake Erie affects nearly every aspect of life in the region. This project will target funding to the streams and rivers that have the largest impact on water quality in the lake.

In January, USDA announced $394 million in awards in the first round of RCPP applications (which represented two years' worth of funding for fiscal years 2014 and 2015).

Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life.

USDA is now accepting proposals for RCPP. Pre-proposals are due July 8, 2015. For more information on applying, visit the RCPP website.

Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS, April 29, 2015 - Deputy Agriculture Secretary Krysta Harden and Honduras Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock Jacobo Paz today signed an agreement to support agricultural development and trade in Honduras.

Through the Food for Progress Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service will provide the government of Honduras with 30,000 metric tons of U.S. yellow corn and 18,000 tons of U.S. soybean meal, valued at approximately $17 million. The Honduran government will use proceeds from the sale of the commodities to implement projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity, enhancing farmers' access to information and market skills, building government capacity, and strengthening local, regional and international trade in agricultural products.

"The Food for Progress Program is a cornerstone in USDA's efforts to support sustainable agricultural production in developing nations and promote agricultural trade," Harden said. "The Obama administration remains committed to investing in the creation of economic stability and opportunity in Central America. Today's agreement continues USDA's successful partnership with the Honduran government and the private sector under Food for Progress and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program. I am proud that our cooperative efforts are building a stronger agricultural sector, creating new opportunities and better lives for the people of Honduras."

The projects supported by this new agreement will focus on the creation of jobs and income opportunities for some of Honduras' most vulnerable citizens. The beneficiaries will include small farmers, as well as small businesses and producer organizations, particularly those that support rural women and youth.

For more information about the Food for Progress Program, visit www.fas.usda.gov/programs/food-progress.

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Voluntary, Incentive-based Efforts Will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Expand Renewable Energy Production, Help Producers Boost their Operations and Grow the Economy

EAST LANSING, Mich., April 23, 2015 -- In a speech today at Michigan State University, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack laid out a comprehensive approach to partner with agricultural producers to address the threat of climate change. Building on the creation of USDA's Climate Hubs last year, the new initiatives will utilize voluntary, incentive-based conservation, forestry, and energy programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration and expand renewable energy production in the agricultural and forestry sectors. Through these efforts, USDA expects to reduce net emissions and enhance carbon sequestration by over 120 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MMTCO2e) per year - about 2 percent of economy-wide net greenhouse emissions - by 2025. That's the equivalent of taking 25 million cars off the road, or the emissions produced by powering nearly 11 million homes last year.

The Secretary was joined at Michigan State by Brian Deese, Senior Advisor to the President, as well as agricultural producers and other private partners. Deese noted that last year, President Obama made a pledge to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. Deese said that today's announcement will help the American agriculture and forest sectors contribute to that goal.

"American farmers and ranchers are leaders when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and improving efficiency in their operations. That's why U.S. agricultural emissions are lower than the global average," said Vilsack. "We can build on this success in a way that combats climate change and strengthens the American agriculture economy. Through incentive-based initiatives, we can partner with producers to significantly reduce carbon emissions while improving yields, increasing farm operation's energy efficiency, and helping farmers and ranchers earn revenue from clean energy production."

"This is an innovative and creative effort to look across all of USDA's programs and put forward voluntary and incentive-based programs that will increase the bottom lines of ranchers and farmers while reducing net greenhouse gas emissions," said Deese. "Taken together, these partnerships will reduce emissions by 120 million metric tons or two percent of our economy-wide emissions in 2025 - exactly the collaborative, bold action this moment demands of us."

The framework announced today consists of ten building blocks that span a range of technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon storage and generate clean renewable energy. Through this initiative, USDA will use authorities provided in the 2014 Farm Bill to offer incentives and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners. USDA intends to pursue partnerships and leverage resources to conserve and enhance greenhouse gas sinks, reduce emissions, increase renewable energy and build resilience in agricultural and forest systems.

USDA Building Blocks for Climate Action:

Soil Health: Improve soil resilience and increase productivity by promoting conservation tillage and no-till systems, planting cover crops, planting perennial forages, managing organic inputs and compost application, and alleviating compaction. For example, the effort aims to increase the use of no-till systems to cover more than 100 million acres by 2025.

Nitrogen Stewardship: Focus on the right timing, type, placement and quantity of nutrients to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and provide cost savings through efficient application.

Livestock Partnerships: Encourage broader deployment of anaerobic digesters, lagoon covers, composting, and solids separators to reduce methane emissions from cattle, dairy, and swine operations, including the installation of 500 new digesters over the next 10 years.

Conservation of Sensitive Lands: Use the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) to reduce GHG emissions through riparian buffers, tree planting, and the conservation of wetlands and organic soils. For example, the effort aims to enroll 400,000 acres of lands with high greenhouse gas benefits into the Conservation Reserve Program.

Grazing and Pasture Lands: Support rotational grazing management on an additional 4 million acres, avoiding soil carbon loss through improved management of forage, soils and grazing livestock.

Private Forest Growth and Retention: Through the Forest Legacy Program and the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, protect almost 1 million additional acres of working landscapes. Employ the Forest Stewardship Program to cover an average of 2.1 million acres annually (new or revised plans), in addition to the 26 million acres covered by active plans.

Stewardship of Federal Forests: Reforest areas damaged by wildfire, insects, or disease, and restore forests to increase their resilience to those disturbances. This includes plans to reforest an additional 5,000 acres each year.

Promotion of Wood Products: Increase the use of wood as a building material, to store additional carbon in buildings while offsetting the use of energy from fossil fuel.

Urban Forests: Encourage tree planting in urban areas to reduce energy costs, storm water runoff, and urban heat island effects while increasing carbon sequestration, curb appeal, and property values. The effort aims to plant an additional 9,000 trees in urban areas on average each year through 2025.

Energy Generation and Efficiency: Promote renewable energy technologies and improve energy efficiency. Through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program, work with utilities to improve the efficiency of equipment and appliances. Using the Rural Energy for America Program, develop additional renewable energy opportunities. Support the National On-Farm Energy Initiative to improve farm energy efficiency through cost-sharing and energy audits.

These efforts will provide economic and environmental benefits through efficiency improvements, improved yields, and climate resilience while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. For example, implementing no-till practices can both increase carbon sequestration and improve the soil's water holding capacity, reducing the vulnerability to drought and soil erosion. Likewise, adopting the right timing, placement, source, and rate of nutrients can reduce input costs and maintain agricultural yield while minimizing nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.

Addressing climate change is critical for future agricultural and forest health and will require innovation, creativity, and consideration of all potential solutions. Liquid renewable fuels (ethanol and biodiesel) are already supplying 10 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs. Great strides have been made to improve the performance of the ethanol and biodiesel industry. The newest and most efficient ethanol plants produce fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 40 percent, and there are opportunities to improve performance even further.

Biomass can also contribute to heating, cooling and electric needs, offering a low-cost option to reduce greenhouse gases. USDA is promoting a strategy that recognizes forest stocks can reduce emissions by substituting for fossil fuels and energy intensive materials. Doing so will create strong markets for wood materials, raise the value of lands in forests, and encourage investment in forest regrowth and expansion.

USDA's strategy will be based on the following principles:

• Voluntary and incentive-based: Farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners are stewards of the land. USDA has a track record of successful conservation though voluntary programs designed to provide technical assistance for resource management. These efforts fit within USDA's approach of "cooperative conservation."
• Focused on multiple economic and environmental benefits: To be successful, the proposed actions should provide economic and environmental benefits through efficiency improvements, improved yields, or reduced risks.
• Meet the needs of producers: This strategy is designed for working farms, ranches, forests, and production systems. USDA will encourage actions that enhance productivity and improve efficiency.
• Cooperative and focused on building partnerships: USDA will seek out opportunities to leverage efforts by industry, farm groups, conservation organizations, municipalities, public and private investment products, tribes, and states.
• Assess progress and measure success: USDA is committed to establishing quantitative goals and objectives for each building block and will track and report on progress.

America's farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have a track record of extraordinary productivity gains and natural resource stewardship. Today, producers are working alongside USDA and other partners to make their operations and communities more resistant to a changing climate. Building on this legacy of partnership, efficiency and innovation, said Vilsack, American agriculture and the Nation's forests can continue to play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon storage in our forests and our soils. U.S. producers and landowners are already global leaders in sustainable land management and efficient production systems, and in turn will continue to be global leaders in implementing climate change solutions.

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