Staff Reports
As Congress stumbles through the endless negotiations for the long-overdue Farm Bill, a dedicated group of climate activists and financial wheelers-and-dealers are plotting to transform this essential legislation into a blunt weapon aimed at the very heart of everyday Americans—namely, farmers and ranchers. The same unelected elite who have successfully used Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria to hound and hamper America’s energy and financial sectors now have rural America in their sights. And it’s pretty clear where they intend to steer this misguided charge.
Take a glance across the ocean at the Netherlands, where a misguided government has forced farmers to curb their emissions by a staggering 70 percent and has the audacity to demand they reduce their livestock by a third. Apparently, these bureaucratic busybodies believe they’re entitled to decide who can and can’t farm, leading to the forced sales of land and the end of more than 3,000 farming careers. It’s like they’ve taken a page right out of the “How to Ruin Agriculture” handbook.
China—oops, Sri Lanka, rather—saw the true cost of these ideologically driven agricultural policies when its president mandated a switch to lower-yield organic fertilizers. The result? A food crisis that spiraled into national bankruptcy and anti-government riots. Somehow, this didn’t end well for the politicians trying to “save” the planet. It’s a classic example of what happens when the whims of climate crusaders collide head-on with the realities of real-world food production.
Now, with the Biden administration’s Democratic allies ready to pounce, the 2024 Farm Bill is under threat of transformation into a climate manifesto that could put farmers at the mercy of ESG mandates. Activists, supported by the Environmental group Ceres, are pushing a ludicrous agenda that aims to tie vital crop insurance to compliance with oppressive environmental regulations. They want farmers to toe the line under the misconception that linking insurance access is a charming “incentive.” Spoiler alert: It’s not, and it’s likely to crush the agricultural community under the weight of compliance costs.
The numbers don’t lie—implementing net-zero policies and ESG requirements could increase expenses for farmers by a staggering 25 percent. Imagine the sheer horror of skyrocketing costs: fertilizer prices up by 27 percent, grain drying up by 38 percent, and by the end of it, American families could be shelling out an extra $1,300 each year just to put food on the table. This societal experiment—not dissimilar to an ironic horror show—could also force American food companies to ditch domestic suppliers in favor of foreign producers who laugh in the face of U.S. regulations.
Friendly reminder that the left wants you broke and starving and you will be happy about it…https://t.co/TtqjWln7WW
— RSG (@RSGReports) August 1, 2024
In essence, ESG is set to wipe out American farms, tarnish decades of family farming traditions, and threaten the tax base of rural America—all while placing national food security in peril. Consumers’ Research is ringing the alarm bell, urging Congress to keep the “Farm” firmly in the Farm Bill and show ESG the door. It’s time Congress made it abundantly clear that they reject oppressive fertilizer mandates and crushing electrification directives that could leave farmers drowning in debt.
To truly safeguard the future of American agriculture, Congress must ensure that no green bureaucrat can unilaterally impose carbon-related costs on farming processes or extend unpopular standards to heavy trucks and farm equipment. Learning from the epic failures of government EV programs is a must. This legislation should also close the loopholes that allow activists to use the courts as a weapon against food producers in their endless quest for arbitrary net-zero commitments. It’s now or never: Americans shouldn’t have to withstand the same ESG regime currently festering in corporate boardrooms creeping into their fields.
