Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input on protocols for a new Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program, the main initiative under the Growing Climate Solutions Act. The information will be collected through a Request for Information and will inform a proposed rule to establish the program.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the release at an event at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, titled “Advancing a Low-Carbon American Economy Through High-Integrity Voluntary Carbon Markets and Industrial Strategy.”
“High-integrity voluntary carbon markets offer a promising tool to create new revenue streams for producers and achieve greenhouse gas reductions from the agriculture and forest sectors,” Vilsack stated. “However, a variety of barriers have hindered agriculture’s participation in voluntary carbon markets, and we are seeking to change that by establishing a new Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program.”
Authorized under the Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA), part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, this program aims to improve access to high-integrity carbon markets for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners. In October 2023, USDA published "A General Assessment of the Role of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. Carbon Markets," examining current market activity, participation barriers, and opportunities.
The new program will provide qualified technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers who work with producers to generate credible carbon credits. USDA will also list widely accepted voluntary carbon credit protocols designed to ensure consistency, reliability, effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency.
“By adopting science-based practices to reduce emissions or sequester carbon on their land, farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners can access a new income stream through carbon credit sales while also combating climate change,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is now seeking to gather information about the protocols used in carbon credit markets as we work to best support the agricultural industry’s participation in carbon credit programs."
The Request for Information will be published in the Federal Register on May 29, 2024. It seeks feedback on several aspects including:
- Options for interpreting criteria used to evaluate protocols.
- Specific protocols evaluated for inclusion.
- Qualifications needed by entities providing technical assistance.
- Qualifications needed by third-party verifiers.
Comments can be submitted during a 30-day public comment period at www.regulations.gov.
Following this request for information USDA plans further industry engagement through an advisory committee. More details about the program can be found at www.ams.usda.gov/services/GCSA or by contacting Sasha Strohm at sasha.strohm@usda.gov or 202-720-5705.
USDA's initiatives under the Biden-Harris administration include transforming America’s food system with resilient local production; fairer markets; ensuring healthy food access; building climate-smart food practices; investing in infrastructure; clean energy capabilities; committing to equity across departments; removing systemic barriers; and creating a representative workforce.
