Your action needed to help regenerative crops restore Minnesota farmland

Agriculture and Climate Change
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Right now, Minnesota has a golden opportunity to lead an agricultural revolution that will serve both people and planet. Just as all our waters flow outward across North America, our adoption of new, environmentally beneficial crops and farming techniques can flow outward into the rest of the world. We can all enjoy the benefits of healthy food, clean water, wildlife habitat, and climate-friendly land use that strengthens our resilience as long as we act now.

At the University of Minnesota, scientists at the Forever Green Initiative are developing a new generation of crops that deliver these environmental benefits and profits for farmers; crops that can be used for food, clean fuel, and sustainable bioplastics. At the same time, farmers, companies, and institutions are working to pave the way for markets and supply chains for these crops. With support from the state at this critical time, they can move forward to bring these crops into the mainstream and turn the tide for Minnesota farmland.

Will you take a moment to ask your Legislators to invest in these efforts?

At a moment when Minnesota’s budget is in great shape, two bipartisan bills at the Legislature would invest in these efforts to support next generation crops:

  • HF 3625/SF 3711 would fully fund the Forever Green Initiative so that scientists can continue working to ensure these beneficial crops can thrive on our farms.
  • HF 2720/SF 3271 would support businesses planning to bring these crops into the market, ensuring that farmers’ livelihoods will benefit as they begin to grow them.

These bills have strong support, but we need to make sure they make it across the finish line and are signed into law. Minnesota Environmental Partnership has developed a handy dandy action system that allows you to ask your Senator and Representative to support these bills as they negotiate the state’s budget. Making these investments now will set our state’s people, environment, and economy up for success for years to come. Itg is a good idea to customize the message in our action system to share your personal story!

Thanks to DFLEC and MAP‘s Matt Doll for putting this together!