Kerry-Lieberman climate bill rewards organic practices, but needs measurement to assure carbon savings

The Kerry-Lieberman climate bill follows in the footsteps of the Waxman-Markey legislation, passed last summer, by establishing an agricultural and forestry offsets program, writes Meredith Niles.  Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency predicted that such a program could provide annual net benefits to farmers as high as $18 billion -- an amount that could fundamentally change the way America farms.

However, achieving true GHG reductions must mean that legislation is incentivizing effective and real practices. The bill establishes a "Carbon Conservation Program" designed to encourage GHG reductions and sequestration activities for landowners and others with grazing contracts not eligible for the offset program.

It specifically includes certified organic practices, but also more the questionable conventional no-till, which often uses Round-Up herbicide and chemical fertilizer.

Full story: Grist.org