Land Core Publishes Soil Health Policy Recommendations for Trump-Vance Administration
Soil health is the foundation for national food security. It is the bedrock of American public health and the key to the integrity and reliability of our country’s food system. Healthy soils are a vital path to resilience and prosperity for American producers.
Risk Management: Healthy soil reduces risk in agriculture. It is critical that we recognize the risk-reducing benefits of soil health practices within the crop insurance safety net in order to ensure the long term viability of US agriculture and the fiscal sustainability of the federal crop insurance program.
The following recommendations have been designed to provide specific guidance to the incoming presidential administration and focuses on high-level, actionable priorities for key agencies across the federal government to advance soil health.
Update January 16, 2025: For a more detailed and comprehensive document for Soil Health & Agricultural Policy Recommendations for the new administration, learn more at the link below.
Summary of Recommendations
(For the full policy recommendations, please click the button above)
Legislative Action:
Call on Congress to pass a Farm Bill that centers soil health as the foundation of sound farm policy, as soon as possible.
Agency Priorities & Action
The incoming administration can lead the transformation in how the U.S. supports American farmers, landowners, and producers in their transition to a healthier, more resilient, profitable, productive and ecologically sound U.S. agriculture system.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Maintain/expand funding for CSP and EQIP to promote soil health practices like cover cropping and no-till farming, improving resilience while reducing operational costs for farmers.Include soil health as a priority for all relevant agencies as an essential tool to address: agricultural resilience, rural prosperity, risk mitigation (against increased flood, drought, and wildfires), carbon sequestration, biodiversity loss and ecological restoration.
Risk Management Agency (RMA)
Incorporate soil health metrics into crop insurance programs and offer reduced premiums to farmers implementing soil health practices that lower input costs and increase resilience to market fluctuations.
Actuarially-sound assessments of risk paired with voluntary soil health practice adoption can also benefit a wider set of producers.
Economic Research Service (ERS)
Prioritize research into soil health and soil carbon storage and its economic benefits, supporting farmers with data-driven solutions for global market competitiveness.
Department of Interior (DOI) / Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Support rural economies by prioritizing leases on federal lands for regenerative agriculture and grazing practices that improve soil productivity and strengthen local agricultural operations.
Health and Human Services (HHS)
Promote research on the health benefits of soil-based interventions. Fund studies exploring the epidemiological associations between soil characteristics and health outcomes in farms and communities. Develop training and education initiatives to improve agricultural literacy among health professionals.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Prioritize disaster recovery funds for rural agricultural communities, including soil health restoration projects to mitigate future disaster impacts and reduce farmer losses from extreme weather events.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Collaborate with rural communities to integrate erosion control measures into federal watershed management projects, protecting farmland and ensuring productive use of agricultural lands.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Expand research and support for biofuel crop rotations that enhance soil health and biodiversity while meeting energy production goals.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Direct the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), which is responsible for the purchasing of domestic food for export as foreign aid, to prioritize using US-grown cover crops for programs such as Food For Peace (FFP) and other food assistance initiatives.
This is a preliminary set of policies and actions designed to align with the Trump administration’s priorities to strengthen American agriculture in both domestic and global markets and reduce regulatory burdens. These recommendations support the administration’s goals of focusing on healthy American soil, reducing operational costs for farmers, expanding international trade opportunities, and revitalizing rural and urban communities. We invite questions and the opportunity to expand on these recommendations.
Land Core is a 501(c)3 organization that works closely with the USDA, legislators, producers, soil scientists, NGOs and financial institutions across the country to develop policy recommendations that build healthy soils, resilient farmers and national food security. This includes guiding the successful passage of language in both the House and Senate supporting soil health outcomes at the USDA and helping to secure over $50M in federal investment in Soil Health in the 2018 Farm Bill.
Resources: The Land Core Soil Health Bill Tracker is a comprehensive tool designed to monitor and analyze legislation related to soil health and resilience. It can be used to support bills that align with the priorities of strengthening American agriculture, promoting energy independence, and revitalizing rural communities.
Contact: Aria McLauchlan, Co-Founder & Executive Director, aria@landcore.org