The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a new initiative to gather public input on protocols for the forthcoming Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program. This initiative, a key component of the Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA), aims to enhance participation in voluntary carbon markets by farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners. The USDA is inviting feedback through a Request for Information (RFI) published on May 29, 2024.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the RFI at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, during an event titled “Advancing a Low-Carbon American Economy Through High-Integrity Voluntary Carbon Markets and Industrial Strategy.”
“High-integrity voluntary carbon markets offer a promising tool to create new revenue streams for producers and achieve greenhouse gas reductions from the agriculture and forest sectors,” Vilsack stated. “However, a variety of barriers have hindered agriculture’s participation in voluntary carbon markets, and we are seeking to change that by establishing this new program.”
The Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program, authorized under the GCSA as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, is the next step in USDA’s efforts to support the agricultural sector. This initiative follows the USDA’s October 2023 publication, “A General Assessment of the Role of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. Carbon Markets,” which outlined current market activity, barriers, and opportunities.
The new program aims to provide better technical assistance by listing qualified providers and third-party verifiers who can help producers generate credible carbon credits. Additionally, USDA will compile widely accepted voluntary carbon credit protocols to ensure consistency, reliability, and transparency in the market.
“By adopting science-based practices to reduce emissions or sequester carbon on their land, farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners can access a new income stream through carbon credit sales while also combating climate change,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is now seeking to gather information about the protocols used in carbon credit markets as we work to best support the agricultural industry’s participation in carbon credit programs. Public input will be invaluable as we develop the structure of these new resources.”
The USDA’s RFI seeks feedback on several key aspects of the GCSA, including:
- Options for interpreting and applying criteria to evaluate protocols ensuring consistency, reliability, effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency.
- Information on specific protocols to be considered for inclusion.
- Qualifications for entities providing technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners.
- Qualifications for entities serving as third-party verifiers in voluntary environmental credit markets.
Comments can be submitted during the 30-day public comment period at www.regulations.gov.
The USDA will also seek industry participation in an advisory committee to develop this and related programs further. For more information about the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program, visit www.ams.usda.gov/services/GCSA or contact Sasha Strohm, Program Manager, at sasha.strohm@usda.gov or 202-720-5705.
