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The Renewable Fuels Association today submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Energy and Environmental Policy regarding the interim rule on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks. RFA commended USDA for its efforts to support climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and emphasized the importance of policies that empower farmers while ensuring a robust and efficient renewable fuels market.
“USDA’s approach to climate-smart agriculture must ensure that farmers are incentivized to adopt sustainable practices while maintaining market flexibility,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “We support efforts to streamline verification processes, expand access to USDA’s Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (FD-CIC), and enhance opportunities for farmers to participate in carbon reduction programs.”
In its comments, RFA highlighted the benefits of a book-and-claim supply chain management system, which would allow farmers to sell the emissions reduction value of their on-farm practices separately from their physical crops, thereby ensuring flexibility in the grain market while still incentivizing sustainable farming.
RFA also advocated for a web-based version of the FD-CIC tool to improve accessibility and ease of use for producers and inclusion of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs) in the final rule, recommending clear standards for verifying reduced nitrogen application rates that significantly lowers emissions from agriculture.
Additionally, RFA urged USDA to ensure that CSA initiatives do not impose unnecessary regulatory burdens that could discourage farmer participation. By implementing practical and science-based policies, USDA can enhance farm productivity, reduce emissions, and expand opportunities for biofuel producers to source sustainable feedstocks.
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