Poll Shows 82% of People Support Incentives to Farmers for Soil Health

According to a new study from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, two-thirds of Americans worry about the effects of climate change, and a similar percentage say climate change already is affecting our weather. But when asked what should be done about global warming, Americans are more sharply divided. That is, except on one point: 82% -- including majorities across the political spectrum -- endorse federal funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs and stores more carbon. In fact, planting cover crops and similar measures were the most popular among the 20 global warming solutions that Yale researchers polled more than 1,000 Americans on earlier this year. 

Congress must listen. Coming on top of recent polling by National Wildlife Federation showing that 78% of farmers support the concept of a cover crop incentive, the Yale poll is the clearest evidence yet that large majorities of Americans want the farm bill to include an incentive for farmers to plant crops in the off season to prevent erosion and enrich soil quality. 

The COVER Act would accomplish these goals at a modest cost. This bipartisan bill would grant farmers who plant cover crops a $5 per acre savings off their crop insurance bills. This fully voluntary program would not require farmers to plant cover crops in order to be eligible for crop insurance and is not a step toward any larger conservation mandates.  

As Congress works to finalize the 2023 Farm Bill, it should support cost saving investments like the COVER Act and the game changing funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to support practices that protect and promote the soil. By safeguarding and promoting the productive capacity of our soil, we can secure a better climate future for everyone.