June 5, 2017
US Ag Secretary promises supporting industry to adapt to climate change
US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue affirmed the USDA's commitment to help the local agriculture industry adapt to climate change by researching and developing better production methods.
The announcement came following US President Donald Trump's widely slammed decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Treaty.
"Floods, droughts, and natural disasters are a fact of life for farmers, ranchers, and foresters," said Perdue. "They have persevered in the past, and they will adapt in the future – with the assistance of the scientists and experts at USDA."
US farm group, National Farmers Union criticised Trump's action as giving rise to "unpredictable and destructive weather" that could seriously affect "family farm operations, future generations, and food prices and availability".
Another farm body, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), highlighted combatting climate change as a way to avail income to farmers through payments for carbon sequestration on their land. NSAC said it would ensure that investments to support the building of resilient farms are made when the next farm bill is tabled.
Trump, whose sceptical viewpoints on climate change have constantly invited public scrutiny, claimed that the Paris Accord diminishes US' respectability and hurt its economy. However, Cargill chief executive David MacLennan refuted that assertion, saying that the treaty will improve the country's economic growth and job creation.
"We have no intention of backing away from our efforts to address climate change in the food and agriculture supply chains around the world, and, in fact, this will inspire us to work harder," MacLennan said.
