Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF)

Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry helps producers mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Mitigation: Reducing or removing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause climate change.

Voluntary conservation activities can support climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing carbon sequestration. Many can also help operations build climate change resilience while addressing other natural resource concerns such as soil health, water quality, pollinator and wildlife habitat and air quality. See the full list of practices in the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activity List, including practices available through EQIP and enhancements available through CSP. The Inflation Reduction Act provides additional funds to support climate change mitigation through conservation programs.

NRCS climate-smart agriculture and forestry mitigation activities can support mitigation in the following areas:

• Soil Health – Reducing emissions and enhancing soil carbon sequestration.

• Improved Nitrogen Management – Implementing SMART nutrient management helps reduce nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. SMART Nutrient Management includes the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship – the right Source, right Method, right Rate, and right Timing – and emphasizes smart activities to reduce nutrient loss by Assessment of comprehensive, site-specific conditions.

• Improved Livestock Waste Management Systems – Reducing potent methane emissions from manure.

• Enhanced Grazing Land Management – Reducing emissions and building soil carbon stocks in grazing systems.

• Improved Agroforestry, Forestry and Upland Wildlife Habitat – Building carbon stocks in perennial biomass and soils.

• Restored Disturbed Lands – Improving the quality of previously mined or degraded lands to increase soil and perennial biomass carbon stocks.

• Energy, Combustion and Electricity Efficiency – Reducing emissions from agricultural operations and infrastructure through energy and fuel efficiency and system and operational improvements.

• Precisely Managed Water on Rice Fields – Reducing methane emissions from rice fields by minimizing methane production during the growing season

Adaptation: Adapting and building resilience to climate change and its impacts

Climate change poses environmental, social, and agricultural challenges that require adaptation measures to help adjust to new or changing climatic patterns. Adaptation actions can be taken in response to local climate change impacts and projections to reduce risks and vulnerabilities, build resilience and help to maintain productivity.

Adaptation actions in agriculture may include changing or adjusting various management practices and inputs, including nutrient inputs, tillage practices, crop species, crop rotations, harvest strategies, livestock management, irrigation, and uses of natural resources like water and vegetation.

Adaptation may also include integrating conservation practices that can help build resilience to climate change impacts over time. For example, improving or maintaining soil health may help buffer the effects of extreme weather, such as excessive precipitation and drought.

NRCS can support producers who want to voluntarily implement climate-smart conservation activities to help adapt their operations and build resilience, while maintaining productivity and conserving and restoring the natural resources on their lands.

Many conservation activities that help adapt agricultural operations to these changing conditions can also support climate change mitigation. Using cover crops, for example, increases soil cover and organic matter which can reduce water loss to lessen potential drought stress and decrease erosion associated with extreme weather. At the same time, cover crops can increase carbon sequestration in soils, providing climate change mitigation benefits as well. Similarly, establishing tree cover or silvopasture systems can provide shade for livestock to reduce heat stress, while also sequestering carbon in tree biomass.

Urban agriculture and innovative production may also help communities and producers respond to climate change, including by supporting local, resilient food systems.