WASHINGTON — The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) asked the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reconsider a “climate-smart agriculture” rule that was published on the last business day of the Biden administration.

On Jan. 17, USDA published an interim rule to establish guidelines for quantifying, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the production of biofuel feedstock crops. NPPC’s main critique of the regulation was that it overlooks manure’s role in providing a renewable source of crop nutrient and reducing emissions.

Climate-smart practices covered in the rule include reduced till and no-till, cover crops, and nutrient management, such as the use of nitrification inhibitors. However, no mention of the role of livestock producers can play in climate-smart agriculture was made.

“Not surprisingly, pork producers are very disappointed that the interim rule did not include the use of manure in the list of practices farmers across the country can use to reduce GHG emissions and sequester carbon,” wrote Michael Formica, chief legal strategist for NPPC, in a letter to the USDA. “Manure is the original close-loop recycled nutrient and the preferred source of nutrients by countless farmers across the country.

“Instead of acknowledging the reality of widespread responsible manure use by farmers across the country to produce food, fiber and fuel, manure use was sidelined in favor of the interest of environmental and animal rights extremists that seek to paint hard working American farmers who utilize manure as polluters who need not be tolerated.”

NPPC pointed out that agronomically sound use of manure rather than commercial nitrogen fertilizer to produce crops reduces the net carbon intensity (CI) score of the feedstock being produced. Furthermore, manure is known to have other environmental benefits, such as improved soil health, better nutrient cycling and support for a more circular economy where “wastes” are put to productive and efficient uses. 

According to current scientific literature, NPPC said, replacing some amount of commercial fertilizers with manure maintains annual crop yields, increases soil organic carbon storage, reduces GHG emissions, and reduces crops’ carbon footprint.