4 a gree ccitf_Documenting the Economic Benefits of Soil Health Management for Farmers

DRAFT CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION

1www.foodandagpolicy.org

Linking Existing Data on Conservation and Risk:An AGree Strategy to Drive Adoption of Conservation PracticesSoil & Water Conservation Society Conference | July 27, 2015

www.foodandagpolicy.org

1. Overview of AGree2. AGree’s Conservation and Crop Insurance Task Force

a. Objectiveb. Membershipc. Strategyd. Data Challengese. Current Effortsf. Maintaining Data Confidentialityg. Potential Outcomes

3. Q&A

Presentation Roadmap

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AGree’s Key ChallengesMeet future demand for food Strengthen farms and communities to improve livelihoods

Improve nutrition and public health Conserve and enhance water, soil, and habitat

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Three Phases of AGree

1• Established a unique voice (diverse leaders

and brand) and trusted platform for dialogue

2• Develop consensus recommendations • Identify advocacy and action priorities • Identify implementation partners, funders,

and coalitions

3• Support and build out coalitions, and

advocate for policy change• Catalyze and advance “proof of concept”

projects• Serve as a platform for dialogue,

collaboration, and innovative thinking4


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Eight Integrated Initiatives


1. Immigration Reform2. Working Landscapes3. Food & Nutrition4. International

Development5. Research & Innovation6. Local Food7. Risk Management8. Next Generation

Eight Integrated Initiatives

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AGree’s Conservation and Crop Insurance Task Force (CCITF)


Use the federal crop insurance program to drive broader adoption of conservation practices

CCITF Objective:

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• Barry Barnett: Mississippi State University• Rich Bowman: The Nature Conservancy• Larry Clemens: The Nature Conservancy• Keith Coble: Mississippi State University• Neil Conklin: Farm Foundation• Craig Cox: Environmental Working Group• Randy Dell: The Nature Conservancy• Kristin Weeks Duncanson: Duncanson

Growers• Viola Glenn: Rural Advancement Foundation• Nick Goeser: National Corn Growers

Association, Soil Health Partnership• Ferd Hoefner: National Sustainable Agriculture

Coalition• Bruce Knight: Strategic Conservation

Solutions, Former Chief of NRCS• Doug Lawrence: Blackwoods Group• Carl Mattson: George Mattson Farms, Inc.

• Stephanie Mercier: Farm Journal Foundation, Former Chief Economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee

• Sarah Mine: Datu Research• James Moseley: AGree Co-Chair, Former Deputy

Secretary of USDA• Rob Myers: Midwest Regional SARE

Coordinator, University of Missouri• James Robinson: Rural Advancement

Foundation• Susan Schmidt: Cargill Crop Insurance Agency• Zeke Spears: K COE Isom∙• Ryan Stockwell: National Wildlife Federation• Wally Tyner: Purdue University• Paul Wolfe: National Sustainable Agriculture

Coalition• Josh Woodard: Cornell University• Fred Yoder: Ohio Corn Growers Association

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CCITF Members:


Examine ways that crop insurance could recognize the risk reduction benefits of conservation practices

First hurdle = analyzing data to assess how…

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CCITF Strategy:

Conservation Practice

Adoption

• Yield• Yield variability• Crop resilience to

extreme weather• Soil health• Other

environmental indicators

Impacts:


Existing USDA datasets on crop insurance payment and loss history, yield, soil health, weather, and other environmental indicators could be integrated and analyzed to assess the risk reduction impacts of conservation practices.

This sort of data is collected by multiple USDA agencies, including:

– ERS– FSA– NRCS– RMA– Others

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Data Challenges:

However, the data exists in multiple databases and is collected at various temporal and spatial scales. It cannot be easily integrated for analysis.


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Sampling of USDA Datasets:

Dataset Agency Relevant Variables

Dataset Collection

PeriodFrequency Observations Public or

Private Unit Level

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Data

NRCSConservation

practices implemented

Established in 1996; expanded

in 2002

Annual enrollment for up to 10-year

contracts

151,589 contracts on 58.1 million areas in

2009-2012Public and

Private

Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) Watershed Assessment Study (WAS)

NRCS, in partnership with ARS, FSA, and others

Soil; Water; Climate; Land management;

Socio-economic data

Includes data from 14

ag research watersheds

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Data

NRCSConservation

practices implemented

Established in 2008

Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS)

ERS & NASS

Conservation program

participation; Use of certain

conservation practices

Started in 1996 Annually5,000 fields and

30,000 farms surveyed each year

Private Field


1. Supporting research by Cornell University Professor Joshua Woodard to provide evidence for the correlation between adoption of conversation practices and risk reduction

2. Engaging leadership and senior staff at multiple USDA agencies to facilitate the integration and analysis of existing datasets containing publicly available and confidential data in order to assess the risk reduction impacts of certain conservation practices, conservation systems, or enhanced soil health

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Current CCITF Efforts:


Some of the data that would need to be integrated and analyzed in order to evaluate the risk reduction impacts of conservation practices is confidential, field- and farm-level data.

However, data analysis could be facilitated while maintaining full data confidentiality. Several options exist, including:– A researcher could be placed under contract or work

under a cooperative agreement with one or more USDA agencies

– A data warehouse could enable analysts to query confidential data without the ability to view confidential, identifying information

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Maintaining Data Confidentiality:


Findings from such a data integration and analysis effort could help support:– Changes to the federal crop insurance program– The business case for producers to adopt

conservation practices– Industry supply chain sustainability standards– Carbon and ecosystem services markets

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Potential Outcomes:

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Questions