Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg issued the following statement after a visit from U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Colorado. During the visit, the Secretary announced a $3 billion investment into agriculture, animal disease prevention, and nutrition, and announced a new partnership initiative for climate smart agricultural and forestry programs.
“Colorado has been on the forefront of tackling climate change by addressing challenges faced by farmers and ranchers from the ground-up. Years of drought and catastrophic wildfires have given us a taste of what the future looks like. We know we must shift how we take care of the land, livestock, and our livelihoods. And, as Secretary Vilsack emphasized, we can do this in a way that supports profitability and resilience in agriculture. Continuing to invest in this work is integral to advancing Colorado’s competitiveness on the local, regional and national stage.
We have adapted for centuries, and we will do so again. But we must be active participants in deciding how to respond to the challenges ahead. I'm proud that Colorado agriculture, across our many sectors, is taking climate change seriously.
Colorado farmers and ranchers have stewarded the land they work for generations and are our first line of defense against the climate crisis. Incentivizing voluntary adoption of conservation, soil health, renewable energy, and climate smart agriculture practices is a leading priority at CDA; the urgency of this work cannot be understated. We’re glad to be working in partnership with the federal government to create positive changes across our state.
Governor Polis and I are eager to help the USDA and the federal government tackle the big issues we have before us. Colorado is well set up to help drive these federal programs through our incentive-based soil health, energy efficiency, and drought resilience programs and we welcome these additional investments the USDA will be making into climate smart agricultural and forestry programs.
With USDA’s additional investments in wildfire prevention and forest and watershed health, we can safeguard Colorado’s sensitive wildlife, vegetation, and cultural resources. CDA is pleased to see the USDA expanding opportunities for the federal agency to work with ag producers and federal land management agencies to implement soil health practices on public land.
The USDA’s targeted investment in preventing zoonotic diseases from entering the United States will help protect Colorado and the nation’s trade, economy, pork industry, and the jobs associated with it. African Swine Fever can lead to high mortality rates in domestic and feral swine and protecting Colorado from this viral disease is critical to protecting the supply chain of pork products.
Additionally, CDA is glad to see the USDA’s continued commitment to addressing climate change with an emphasis on equity. We’re grateful to Secretary Vilsack for choosing Colorado to announce these important investments into America’s agricultural producers. We stand with him in our continued commitment to finding equitable and workable solutions to the problems of climate change.”