Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program, 54149-54152 [2021-21368]
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54149
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 86, No. 187
Thursday, September 30, 2021
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
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Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Agriculture will
submit the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13 on or after the date
of publication of this notice. Comments
are requested regarding: whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of burden including
the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; ways to enhance the
quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology Comments
regarding these information collections
are best assured of having their full
effect if received by November 1, 2021.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the
publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. Find this
particular information collection by
selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and the agency informs
potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to
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the collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
Agricultural Marketing Service
Title: Accounts Payable Information
Request.
OMB Control Number: 0581–New.
Summary of Collection: The
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
(AMA) (7 U.S.C. 1621–1627) directs and
authorizes USDA to develop and
improve standards of quality, grades,
grading programs, and certification
services which facilitate the marketing
of agricultural products. To provide
programs and services, section 203(h) of
the AMA (7 U.S.C. 1622(h)) directs and
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture
(Secretary) to inspect, certify, and
identify the class, quality, quantity, and
condition of agricultural products under
such rules and regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, including
assessment and collection of fees for the
cost of service. The regulations in 7 CFR
54, 56, and 70 provide a voluntary
program for grading, certification and
standards of meats, prepared meats,
meat products, shell eggs, poultry
products, and rabbit products. The
regulation in 7 CFR 62—Quality
Systems Verification Programs provides
for voluntary, audit-based, user-fee
funded programs that allow applicants
to have program documentation and
program processes assessed by AMS
auditor(s) and other USDA officials.
AMS also provides other types of
voluntary services under these
regulations, including contract and
specification acceptance services and
verification of product, processing,
further processing, temperature, and
quantity. Because this is a voluntary
program, respondents request or apply
for the specific service they wish, and
in doing so, they provide information.
To assist AMS billing administration
for providing voluntary services, AMS
intends to create a new form to request
respondents accounts payable contact
information. The new form, LP–109A:
Accounts Payable Information Request
will increase accuracy and efficiency in
billing administration by having the
applicable contact responsible for
receiving billing statements and
submitting payment for services
rendered.
Need and Use of the Information: The
information collected is used only by
authorized representatives of USDA
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AMS, Livestock and Poultry Program’s
QAD national and field staff and is used
to administer services requested by
respondents. The information collection
requirements in this request are
essential to carry out the intent of AMA,
to provide the respondents the type of
service they request, and to administer
the program.
Description of Respondents:
Individuals or Households.
Number of Respondents: 164.
Frequency of Responses: Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 40.
Dated: September 27, 2021.
Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021–21310 Filed 9–29–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
[Docket ID: USDA–2021–0010]
Climate-Smart Agriculture and
Forestry Partnership Program
Commodity Credit Corporation,
Farm Production and Conservation
Mission Area, Office of Chief
Economist, and Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Request for information.
AGENCY:
As part of our (USDA) broader
efforts on climate change, we are
requesting information (comments) from
the public on a Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program. In response to the Executive
Order titled Tackling the Climate Crisis
at Home and Abroad, we published a
Federal Register notice on March 16,
2021, to request comments on a ClimateSmart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF)
strategy. Based on public comments
received and our ongoing stakeholder
engagement activities, we published a
progress report in May 2021 on the
CSAF strategy. As one element of the
CSAF strategy, we are considering
actions to expand the use of climatesmart farming practices and aid in the
marketing of agricultural commodities.
The term ‘‘climate-smart commodity’’ is
used to refer to an agricultural
commodity that is produced using
farming practices that reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 187 / Thursday, September 30, 2021 / Notices
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sequester carbon. This requested
information is intended to help test
development of a Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program that could encourage adoption
of CSAF practices and promote markets
for climate-smart commodities. The
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
Partnership Program could be
developed under the authority of the
Commodity Credit Corporation Charter
Act of 1933. This document requests
comments on priorities and program
design of the Climate-Smart Agriculture
and Forestry Partnership Program that
would facilitate the expansion of
markets for agricultural commodities.
DATES: We will consider comments
received on or before 11:59 p.m. (ET) on
November 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit
comments on this notice. You may
submit comments by going to https://
www.regulations.gov and searching for
Docket ID: USDA–2021–0010. Follow
the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Instructions for submitting comments
are provided in the Written Comments
section below.
Comments will be available for
inspection online at https://
www.regulations.gov.
If you have questions, email them to:
ccpooce@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In response to Executive Order 14008,
dated January 27, 2021, and titled,
Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and
Abroad, we published a Federal
Register notice on March 16, 2021 (86
FR 14403–14404), to request comments
on a CSAF strategy. Based on public
comments received and our ongoing
stakeholder engagement activities, we
published a progress report on the CSAF
strategy.1 As one element of this
strategy, we are considering actions to
expand the use of climate-smart farming
practices and aid in the marketing of
agricultural commodities. The term
‘‘climate-smart commodity’’ is used to
refer to an agricultural commodity that
is produced using farming practices that
reduce GHG emissions or sequester
carbon.
We will use the public comments to
inform the possible development of a
USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture and
Forestry Partnership Program, which
could encourage adoption of CSAF
practices and promote markets for
1 The progress report is available at the following
link: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/
documents/climate-smart-ag-forestry-strategy-90day-progress-report.pdf.
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climate-smart commodities. Through
this request for information, we are
requesting suggestions for priorities
within the Climate-Smart Agriculture
and Forestry Partnership Program. The
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
Partnership Program could be
developed under the authority of the
Commodity Credit Corporation Charter
Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 714 Section 5(e).
The public comments will provide
valuable information to USDA, as well
as the private sector and other
stakeholders with interest in and
expertise relating to the expansion of
opportunities for CSAF practices, as
well as markets for climate-smart
commodities.
New markets for climate-smart
commodities provide an opportunity
and a challenge for U.S. farmers,
ranchers, and forest landowners.
Domestic and international consumers
are demonstrating a preference for
agricultural commodities produced
using CSAF practices, creating new
market opportunities for producers.
Markets for climate-smart commodities
include sustainable supply chain
initiatives and internal corporate
commitments where companies are
pledging to reduce emissions within
their own supply chains and production
facilities. Opportunities also include
markets for low-carbon biofuels and
renewable energy. Agricultural
producers and landowners also have
opportunities to market GHG reductions
generated as a part of climate-smart
commodity production.
Despite the opportunity for new or
expanded markets for climate-smart
commodities described above, there are
barriers that have prevented these
markets from reaching scale. The
barriers include:
• The lack of standard definitions of
climate-smart commodities;
• Lack of clear standards for
measurement of climate benefits of
CSAF practices;
• Potential for double-counting
benefits;
• High transaction costs;
• Limited ability for small producer
participation;
• Lack of efficient supply chain
traceability; and
• High risk of market entry.
We are exploring options to reduce
and remove barriers currently limiting
the development of new market
opportunities for CSAF practices and
climate-smart commodities. USDA is
requesting comments on options for
promoting CSAF, including systems for
quantification, options, and criteria for
proposal evaluation, use of information
collected, potential protocols, and
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options for review and verification.
Additionally, we are requesting
comments on how U.S. Government
action might encourage CSAF practices
by leveraging private-sector demand and
providing new income streams for
farmers, ranchers, and forest
landowners.
We are requesting comments from the
public, including, but not limited to,
comments from:
1. Farmers and farmer organizations;
2. Commodity groups;
3. Livestock producer groups;
4. Environmental organizations;
5. Agriculture businesses and
technology companies;
6. Environmental market
organizations;
7. Renewable energy organizations;
8. Tribal organizations and
governments;
9. Organizations representing
historically underrepresented
producers;
10. Organizations representing
historically underrepresented
communities, local producers, and
micro-producers;
11. Forest landowners and forest
landowner organizations; and
12. Private corporations.
Written Comments
Written comments should not exceed
10 pages, inclusive of a 1-page cover
page as described below. Attachments
or linked resources or documents are
not included in the 10-page limit. Please
write concisely, in plain language, and
in narrative format. You may respond to
some or all of the questions listed in this
document. Please note the question to
which you are responding in your
comment. You may also include links to
online material or interactive
presentations but please ensure all links
are publicly available. Each comment
should include:
• The name of the individual(s) and
organization submitting the comment.
• The question(s) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or
7) that your comment supports.
• A brief description of the
commenter’s (individual(s) or
organization’s) mission or areas of
expertise, including any public-private
partnerships with Federal, State, tribal,
territorial, or local governments within
the past 3 years that are relevant to this
document; and
• A contact for questions or other
follow-up on your comment.
By commenting in response to this
document, each participant (individual,
team, or legal entity) warrants that they
are the sole author or owner of, or has
the right to use, any copyrightable
works that are included in the comment,
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that the works are wholly original (or is
an improved version of an existing work
that the participant has sufficient rights
to use and improve), and that the
comment does not infringe any
copyright or any other rights of any
third party of which the participant is
aware.
Participants will not be required to
transfer their intellectual property rights
to USDA, but by providing the
comment, the participant(s) grants to the
Federal government a nonexclusive
license to apply, share, and use the
materials that are included in the
comment. By providing the comment to
the Federal government, each
participant must warrant that there are
no legal obstacles to providing the
above-referenced nonexclusive licenses
of participant’s rights to the Federal
government.
Interested parties who comment in
response to this document may be
contacted for a follow-up strategic
agency assessment dialogue, discussion,
event, crowdsource campaign, or
competition.
Questions
We are requesting comments relating
to the following questions:
1. How would existing private sector
and state compliance markets for carbon
offsets be impacted from this potential
federal program?
2. In order to expand markets, what
should the scope of the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program be, including in terms of
geography, scale, project focus, and
project activities supported?
3. In order to expand markets, what
types of CSAF project activities should
be eligible for funding through the
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
Partnership Program? Projects should
promote the production of climate-smart
commodities and support adoption of
CSAF practices. Examples may include:
a. Activities that develop
standardized supply chain accounting
for carbon-friendly products; activities
that provide supply chain traceability;
innovative financing for low-carbon fuel
from agricultural feedstocks; or green
labeling efforts, among others;
b. Activities that supply grants, loans,
and loan guarantees to producers for
equipment needed to implement CSAF
practices, or for capital-intensive CSAF
technologies;
c. Activities that test and evaluate
standardized protocols that define
eligible CSAF practices, quantification
methodologies, and verification
requirements, with an emphasis on
minimizing transaction costs and
operating at scale;
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d. Activities that evaluate options for
tracking climate-smart commodities,
including book-and-claim systems and
systems to record and register the GHG
benefits generated through CSAF
practices;
e. Activities that generate voluntary
carbon offsets through CSAF practices.
Within carbon offset markets, the GHG
benefit is separated from the commodity
and sold as a carbon offset credit.
Should the USDA consider hybrid
approaches where the GHG benefit
could be assigned to a climate-smart
commodity, or separated and sold as a
voluntary carbon offset?
4. In order to expand markets, what
entities should be eligible to apply for
funding through the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program? Given that the administrative
costs of the Climate-Smart Agriculture
and Forestry Partnership Program could
be high if USDA were to contract with
individual producers or landowners, it
makes more sense to work with groups
of producers and landowners. For
example, eligible entities may include
an agricultural producer association or
other group of producers; State, Tribe,
or unit of local government; a farmer
cooperative; a carbon offset project
developer; an organization or entity
with an established history of working
cooperatively with producers on
agricultural land, as determined by
USDA (for example, a non-governmental
organization); a conservation district;
and an institution of higher education,
including cooperative extension;
5. In order to expand markets, what
criteria should be used to evaluate
project proposals for receiving funding
through the Climate-Smart Agriculture
and Forestry Partnership Program?
a. For example, potential criteria may
include estimated GHG or carbon
sequestration benefits; estimated costs;
potential for addressing identified
barriers for producers; ability to benefit
underserved producers and early
adopters; environmental justice benefits;
and demonstrated capability to ensure
success.
b. Should USDA establish a consistent
payment per ton of GHG generated
through these partnership projects as
part of the project payment structure, or
evaluate a range of incentive options?
6. In order to expand markets, which
CSAF practices should be eligible for
inclusion?
a. What systems for quantification and
key metrics should be used to assess the
benefits of projects funded through the
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
Partnership Program?
b. What should the quantification,
monitoring, reporting, and verification
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54151
requirements for projects funded
through the Climate-Smart Agriculture
and Forestry Partnership Program be?
c. What types of systems should be
used or supported to track participation,
implementation, and potential benefits
generated?
d. What types of data and metrics
should be collected and reported to
determine project success and GHG
benefits delivered? How should the data
and metrics be analyzed to inform
future decisions?
7. How should ownership of potential
GHG benefits that may be generated be
managed?
8. How can USDA ensure that
partnership projects are equitable and
strive to include a wide range of
landowners and producers?
a. How can the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program include early adopters of CSAF
practices?
b. How can the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program be designed to ensure that
benefits flow to historically underserved
producers?
c. How can the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program be designed to ensure that
benefits flow to historically underserved
communities?
d. How can the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program be designed to ensure that
benefits are provided to producers?
USDA Non-Discrimination Policy
In accordance with Federal civil
rights law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights
regulations and policies, USDA, its
Agencies, offices, and employees, and
institutions participating in or
administering USDA programs are
prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, religion, sex,
gender identity (including gender
expression), sexual orientation,
disability, age, marital status, family or
parental status, income derived from a
public assistance program, political
beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior
civil rights activity, in any program or
activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs).
Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means of communication for
program information (for example,
braille, large print, audiotape, American
Sign Language, etc.) should contact the
responsible agency or USDA TARGET
Center at (202) 720–2600 or 844–433–
2774 (toll-free nationwide).
Additionally, program information may
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 187 / Thursday, September 30, 2021 / Notices
be made available in languages other
than English.
To file a program discrimination
complaint, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, AD–
3027, found online at https://
www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-aprogram-discrimination-complaint and
at any USDA office or write a letter
addressed to USDA, and provide in the
letter all the information requested in
the form. To request a copy of the
complaint form, call (866) 632–9992.
Submit your completed form or letter to
USDA by mail to: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20250–9410 or email: OAC@
usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity
provider, employer, and lender.
Robert Ibarra,
Commodity Credit Corporation, United States
Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2021–21368 Filed 9–29–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–GL–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Limitations of Duty- and Quota-Free
Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled
in Beneficiary Sub-Saharan African
Countries From Regional and ThirdCountry Fabric
Committee for the
Implementation of Textile Agreements
(CITA), Commerce.
ACTION: Publishing the new 12-month
cap on duty- and quota-free benefits.
AGENCY:
Effective Date: The new
limitations become effective October 1,
2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Newberg, International Trade
Specialist, Office of Textiles and
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce,
(202) 510–3982 thomas.newberg@
trade.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority:
Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade
and Development Act of 2000 (TDA
2000), Public Law (P.L.) 106–200, as
amended by Division B, Title XXI,
section 3108 of the Trade Act of 2002,
P.L. 107–210; Section 7(b)(2) of the
AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004, P.L.
108–274; Division D, Title VI, section
6002 of the Tax Relief and Health Care
Act of 2006 (TRHCA 2006), P.L. 109–
432, and section 1 of The African
Growth and Opportunity Amendments
(P.L. 112–163), August 10, 2012;
Presidential Proclamation 7350 of
October 2, 2000 (65 FR 59321);
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DATES:
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18:15 Sep 29, 2021
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Presidential Proclamation 7626 of
November 13, 2002 (67 FR 69459); and
Title I, Section 103(b)(2) and (3) of the
Trade Preferences Extension Act of
2015, P.L. 114–27, June 29, 2015.
Title I of TDA 2000 provides for dutyand quota-free treatment for certain
textile and apparel articles imported
from designated beneficiary subSaharan African countries. Section
112(b)(3) of TDA 2000 provides dutyand quota-free treatment for apparel
articles wholly assembled in one or
more beneficiary sub-Saharan African
countries from fabric wholly formed in
one or more beneficiary sub-Saharan
African countries from yarn originating
in the United States or one or more
beneficiary sub-Saharan African
countries. This preferential treatment is
also available for apparel articles
assembled in one or more lesserdeveloped beneficiary sub-Saharan
African countries, regardless of the
country of origin of the fabric used to
make such articles, subject to
quantitative limitation. P.L. 114–27
extended this special rule for lesserdeveloped countries through September
30, 2025.
The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004
provides that the quantitative limitation
for the 12-month period beginning
October 1, 2021 will be an amount not
to exceed seven percent of the aggregate
square meter equivalents of all apparel
articles imported into the United States
in the preceding 12-month period for
which data are available. See Section
112(b)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of TDA 2000, as
amended by Section 7(b)(2)(B) of the
AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004. Of this
overall amount, apparel imported under
the special rule for lesser-developed
countries is limited to an amount not to
exceed 3.5 percent of all apparel articles
imported into the United States in the
preceding 12-month period. See Section
112(b)(3)(B)(ii)(II) of TDA 2000, as
amended by Section 6002(a)(3) of
TRHCA 2006. The Annex to Presidential
Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000
directed CITA to publish the aggregate
quantity of imports allowed during each
12-month period in the Federal
Register.
For the one-year period, beginning on
October 1, 2021, and extending through
September 30, 2022, the aggregate
quantity of imports eligible for
preferential treatment under these
provisions is 2,066,936,295 square
meters equivalent. Of this amount,
1,033,468,148 square meters equivalent
is available to apparel articles imported
under the special rule for lesserdeveloped countries. Apparel articles
entered in excess of these quantities will
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be subject to otherwise applicable
tariffs.
These quantities are calculated using
the aggregate square meter equivalents
of all apparel articles imported into the
United States, derived from the set of
Harmonized System lines listed in the
Annex to the World Trade Organization
Agreement on Textiles and Clothing
(ATC), and the conversion factors for
units of measure into square meter
equivalents used by the United States in
implementing the ATC.
Dated: September 27, 2021.
Paul E. Morris,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the
Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2021–21314 Filed 9–29–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–428–850]
Thermal Paper From Germany: Final
Affirmative Determination of Sales at
Less Than Fair Value and Final
Affirmative Determination of Critical
Circumstances, in Part
Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(Commerce) determines that thermal
paper from Germany is being, or is
likely to be, sold in the United States at
less than fair value (LTFV). The period
of investigation is October 1, 2019,
through September 30, 2020.
DATES: Applicable September 30, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Goldberger, AD/CVD Operations,
Office II, Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–4136.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
AGENCY:
Background
On May 12, 2021, Commerce
published in the Federal Register the
preliminary affirmative determination
in the LTFV investigation of thermal
paper from Germany, in which we also
postponed the final determination until
September 24, 2021.1 Commerce invited
1 See Thermal Paper from Germany: Preliminary
Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value, Preliminary Affirmative Determination
of Critical Circumstances, in Part, Postponement of
Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional
Measures, 86 FR 26001 (May 12, 2021) (Preliminary
Determination), and accompanying Preliminary
Decision Memorandum (PDM); see also Thermal
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 187 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54149-54152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21368]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
[Docket ID: USDA-2021-0010]
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, Farm Production and Conservation
Mission Area, Office of Chief Economist, and Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As part of our (USDA) broader efforts on climate change, we
are requesting information (comments) from the public on a Climate-
Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program. In response to the
Executive Order titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,
we published a Federal Register notice on March 16, 2021, to request
comments on a Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) strategy.
Based on public comments received and our ongoing stakeholder
engagement activities, we published a progress report in May 2021 on
the CSAF strategy. As one element of the CSAF strategy, we are
considering actions to expand the use of climate-smart farming
practices and aid in the marketing of agricultural commodities. The
term ``climate-smart commodity'' is used to refer to an agricultural
commodity that is produced using farming practices that reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or
[[Page 54150]]
sequester carbon. This requested information is intended to help test
development of a Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program that could encourage adoption of CSAF practices and promote
markets for climate-smart commodities. The Climate-Smart Agriculture
and Forestry Partnership Program could be developed under the authority
of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act of 1933. This document
requests comments on priorities and program design of the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program that would facilitate the
expansion of markets for agricultural commodities.
DATES: We will consider comments received on or before 11:59 p.m. (ET)
on November 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. You may
submit comments by going to https://www.regulations.gov and searching
for Docket ID: USDA-2021-0010. Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
Instructions for submitting comments are provided in the Written
Comments section below.
Comments will be available for inspection online at https://www.regulations.gov.
If you have questions, email them to: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In response to Executive Order 14008, dated January 27, 2021, and
titled, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, we published a
Federal Register notice on March 16, 2021 (86 FR 14403-14404), to
request comments on a CSAF strategy. Based on public comments received
and our ongoing stakeholder engagement activities, we published a
progress report on the CSAF strategy.\1\ As one element of this
strategy, we are considering actions to expand the use of climate-smart
farming practices and aid in the marketing of agricultural commodities.
The term ``climate-smart commodity'' is used to refer to an
agricultural commodity that is produced using farming practices that
reduce GHG emissions or sequester carbon.
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\1\ The progress report is available at the following link:
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/climate-smart-ag-forestry-strategy-90-day-progress-report.pdf.
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We will use the public comments to inform the possible development
of a USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program,
which could encourage adoption of CSAF practices and promote markets
for climate-smart commodities. Through this request for information, we
are requesting suggestions for priorities within the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program. The Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program could be developed under
the authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act of 1933
(15 U.S.C. 714 Section 5(e).
The public comments will provide valuable information to USDA, as
well as the private sector and other stakeholders with interest in and
expertise relating to the expansion of opportunities for CSAF
practices, as well as markets for climate-smart commodities.
New markets for climate-smart commodities provide an opportunity
and a challenge for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.
Domestic and international consumers are demonstrating a preference for
agricultural commodities produced using CSAF practices, creating new
market opportunities for producers. Markets for climate-smart
commodities include sustainable supply chain initiatives and internal
corporate commitments where companies are pledging to reduce emissions
within their own supply chains and production facilities. Opportunities
also include markets for low-carbon biofuels and renewable energy.
Agricultural producers and landowners also have opportunities to market
GHG reductions generated as a part of climate-smart commodity
production.
Despite the opportunity for new or expanded markets for climate-
smart commodities described above, there are barriers that have
prevented these markets from reaching scale. The barriers include:
The lack of standard definitions of climate-smart
commodities;
Lack of clear standards for measurement of climate
benefits of CSAF practices;
Potential for double-counting benefits;
High transaction costs;
Limited ability for small producer participation;
Lack of efficient supply chain traceability; and
High risk of market entry.
We are exploring options to reduce and remove barriers currently
limiting the development of new market opportunities for CSAF practices
and climate-smart commodities. USDA is requesting comments on options
for promoting CSAF, including systems for quantification, options, and
criteria for proposal evaluation, use of information collected,
potential protocols, and options for review and verification.
Additionally, we are requesting comments on how U.S. Government action
might encourage CSAF practices by leveraging private-sector demand and
providing new income streams for farmers, ranchers, and forest
landowners.
We are requesting comments from the public, including, but not
limited to, comments from:
1. Farmers and farmer organizations;
2. Commodity groups;
3. Livestock producer groups;
4. Environmental organizations;
5. Agriculture businesses and technology companies;
6. Environmental market organizations;
7. Renewable energy organizations;
8. Tribal organizations and governments;
9. Organizations representing historically underrepresented
producers;
10. Organizations representing historically underrepresented
communities, local producers, and micro-producers;
11. Forest landowners and forest landowner organizations; and
12. Private corporations.
Written Comments
Written comments should not exceed 10 pages, inclusive of a 1-page
cover page as described below. Attachments or linked resources or
documents are not included in the 10-page limit. Please write
concisely, in plain language, and in narrative format. You may respond
to some or all of the questions listed in this document. Please note
the question to which you are responding in your comment. You may also
include links to online material or interactive presentations but
please ensure all links are publicly available. Each comment should
include:
The name of the individual(s) and organization submitting
the comment.
The question(s) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7) that your comment
supports.
A brief description of the commenter's (individual(s) or
organization's) mission or areas of expertise, including any public-
private partnerships with Federal, State, tribal, territorial, or local
governments within the past 3 years that are relevant to this document;
and
A contact for questions or other follow-up on your
comment.
By commenting in response to this document, each participant
(individual, team, or legal entity) warrants that they are the sole
author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works
that are included in the comment,
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that the works are wholly original (or is an improved version of an
existing work that the participant has sufficient rights to use and
improve), and that the comment does not infringe any copyright or any
other rights of any third party of which the participant is aware.
Participants will not be required to transfer their intellectual
property rights to USDA, but by providing the comment, the
participant(s) grants to the Federal government a nonexclusive license
to apply, share, and use the materials that are included in the
comment. By providing the comment to the Federal government, each
participant must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing
the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of participant's rights to
the Federal government.
Interested parties who comment in response to this document may be
contacted for a follow-up strategic agency assessment dialogue,
discussion, event, crowdsource campaign, or competition.
Questions
We are requesting comments relating to the following questions:
1. How would existing private sector and state compliance markets
for carbon offsets be impacted from this potential federal program?
2. In order to expand markets, what should the scope of the
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program be,
including in terms of geography, scale, project focus, and project
activities supported?
3. In order to expand markets, what types of CSAF project
activities should be eligible for funding through the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program? Projects should promote
the production of climate-smart commodities and support adoption of
CSAF practices. Examples may include:
a. Activities that develop standardized supply chain accounting for
carbon-friendly products; activities that provide supply chain
traceability; innovative financing for low-carbon fuel from
agricultural feedstocks; or green labeling efforts, among others;
b. Activities that supply grants, loans, and loan guarantees to
producers for equipment needed to implement CSAF practices, or for
capital-intensive CSAF technologies;
c. Activities that test and evaluate standardized protocols that
define eligible CSAF practices, quantification methodologies, and
verification requirements, with an emphasis on minimizing transaction
costs and operating at scale;
d. Activities that evaluate options for tracking climate-smart
commodities, including book-and-claim systems and systems to record and
register the GHG benefits generated through CSAF practices;
e. Activities that generate voluntary carbon offsets through CSAF
practices. Within carbon offset markets, the GHG benefit is separated
from the commodity and sold as a carbon offset credit. Should the USDA
consider hybrid approaches where the GHG benefit could be assigned to a
climate-smart commodity, or separated and sold as a voluntary carbon
offset?
4. In order to expand markets, what entities should be eligible to
apply for funding through the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
Partnership Program? Given that the administrative costs of the
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program could be
high if USDA were to contract with individual producers or landowners,
it makes more sense to work with groups of producers and landowners.
For example, eligible entities may include an agricultural producer
association or other group of producers; State, Tribe, or unit of local
government; a farmer cooperative; a carbon offset project developer; an
organization or entity with an established history of working
cooperatively with producers on agricultural land, as determined by
USDA (for example, a non-governmental organization); a conservation
district; and an institution of higher education, including cooperative
extension;
5. In order to expand markets, what criteria should be used to
evaluate project proposals for receiving funding through the Climate-
Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program?
a. For example, potential criteria may include estimated GHG or
carbon sequestration benefits; estimated costs; potential for
addressing identified barriers for producers; ability to benefit
underserved producers and early adopters; environmental justice
benefits; and demonstrated capability to ensure success.
b. Should USDA establish a consistent payment per ton of GHG
generated through these partnership projects as part of the project
payment structure, or evaluate a range of incentive options?
6. In order to expand markets, which CSAF practices should be
eligible for inclusion?
a. What systems for quantification and key metrics should be used
to assess the benefits of projects funded through the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program?
b. What should the quantification, monitoring, reporting, and
verification requirements for projects funded through the Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program be?
c. What types of systems should be used or supported to track
participation, implementation, and potential benefits generated?
d. What types of data and metrics should be collected and reported
to determine project success and GHG benefits delivered? How should the
data and metrics be analyzed to inform future decisions?
7. How should ownership of potential GHG benefits that may be
generated be managed?
8. How can USDA ensure that partnership projects are equitable and
strive to include a wide range of landowners and producers?
a. How can the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program include early adopters of CSAF practices?
b. How can the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program be designed to ensure that benefits flow to historically
underserved producers?
c. How can the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program be designed to ensure that benefits flow to historically
underserved communities?
d. How can the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership
Program be designed to ensure that benefits are provided to producers?
USDA Non-Discrimination Policy
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, USDA, its
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital
status, family or parental status, income derived from a public
assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for
prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or
funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and
complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication for program information (for example, braille, large
print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the
responsible agency or USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 or 844-433-
2774 (toll-free nationwide). Additionally, program information may
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be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and
at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA, and provide in
the letter all the information requested in the form. To request a copy
of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form
or letter to USDA by mail to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410 or email: [email protected].
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Robert Ibarra,
Commodity Credit Corporation, United States Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2021-21368 Filed 9-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-GL-P
