WASHINGTON – The Department of Agriculture today announced an initiative, the Regenerative Pilot Program, that will prioritize certain regenerative agriculture practices, including cover crops, in national conservation programs.
The following is a statement from Anne Schechinger, the Environmental Working Group’s midwest director:
Prioritizing regenerative agriculture practices like cover crops and encouraging farmers to develop whole farm plans, as announced today, are important steps in the right direction to improving farm resilience.
We hope the administration will provide more funding to meet the growing backlog of farmer demand for the most effective conservation practices.
The administration should also restore funding for the USDA experts needed to help farmers develop whole farm and regenerative agriculture conservation plans and enroll in this new initiative.
The new initiative will reprogram $700 million to farmers who adopt one or more conservation practices from a regenerative practice list set by the USDA. A total of $400 million will be diverted from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, and $300 million diverted from the Conservation Stewardship Program. In 2024, $242.2 million went to farmers for the designated practices through EQIP.
EWG has also identified a list of regenerative agriculture EQIP practices, and is tracking spending on these practices in EWG’s recently updated Conservation Database. EWG urges the administration to add these additional regenerative EQIP practices to the list announced today:
Alley Cropping
Brush Management
Herbaceous Weed Treatment
Conservation Cover
Contour Buffer Strips
Soil Carbon Amendment
Prescribed Burning
Critical Area Planting
Forest Farming
Windbreak, Shelterbelt Establishment and Renovation
Silvopasture
Fuel Break
Woody Residue Treatment
Field Border
Riparian Herbaceous Cover
Riparian Forest Buffer
Filter Strip
Firebreak
Stream Habitat Improvement and Management
Grassed Waterway
Wildlife Habitat Planting
Hedgerow Planting
Pasture and Hay Planting
Range Planting
Vegetative Barrier
Herbaceous Wind Barriers
Salinity and Sodic Soil Management
Tree, Shrub Establishment
Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats
Wetland Restoration
Wetland Creation
Wetland Enhancement
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
