DECATUR, Ill. - On October 21, producers, policymakers, and private-sector leaders convened at the National Press Club (NPC) to showcase how U.S. agricultural innovation is delivering global solutions while proving that productivity and sustainability go hand-in-hand. The forum, moderated by Sara Wyant, founder and CEO of Agri-Pulse, offered real-world success stories from American producers, while bipartisan pathways for scaling innovations that ensure both food security and climate stability were also explored.

The NPC gathering came as world leaders prepare for COP30 in Brazil this November. COP30 stands for the 30th “Conference of the Parties” to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is the annual UN climate meeting where nearly 200 countries gather to discuss and negotiate policies to address climate change. 

American agriculture stands at a “critical moment” in shaping the global conversation on sustainable food systems going into the summit, according to Wyant. “From regenerative food systems to resilient livestock systems, American farmers and ranchers are proving that productivity and sustainability go hand-in-hand,” she said, adding that the U.S. is leading the way with proven models for scaling economically and environmentally sustainable food systems. 

13th District Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, was the first panelist to speak to the NPC. Budzinski, speaking from her base in Decatur, said she is fighting to protect federal funding for sustainable agriculture practices. 

“Obviously, something I wish we had been able to protect was the $14 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act for climate-smart agriculture, but in the absence of that the fight continues as we continue to promote conservation,” said Budzinski, who is recognized as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress by Common Ground. ‘I had an opportunity to visit with the Illinois Soybean Association and see the work they are doing with cover crops, particularly cereal rye, and how that can be a great practice to protect this great land that we have (in Illinois) and protect the nutrients in our soil.”

Budzinski said she is concerned about oversubscription to EQIP and other farm conservation incentives offered by the federal government that are underfunded for demand. “It’s something we want to see continued investment in,” she said. “It’s important to sustainability to make sure that those dollars are going to continue to be there.”

She is encouraging of public-private collaborations that promote climate smart farming and sustainability, including a partnership with PepsiCo that some Illinois farmers are enrolled in. She also pointed to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to farmers and small businesses for renewable energy systems but whose grant program was paused by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), as critical to U.S. agricultural sustainability efforts. Over $9 million in REAP grants were awarded within Budzinski’s 13th Congressional District of Illinois before the program was suspended by the Trump administration.

“I think these are ways we can continue to promote growth and sustainability through our growers,” said Budzinski of the federal REAP program, IRA climate smart agriculture funding and enhanced federal funding for USDA conservation programs for farmers. 

The Illinois Democrat added that she is concerned that with the current profit margin squeeze being felt by farmers, many will eschew conservation practices such as cover crops due to the additional expense. “I think we need a carrot and stick approach to this,” she said. “If you take away the carrot you de-incentivize conservation practices from being fully utilized. That’s why there was such a fight in Congress to kind of protect that bucket of $14 billion in climate smart agriculture funding. We were hoping in the last Congress that we could move it into the baseline of the farm bill and protect it with some climate smart guard rails.”

Jason Weller, chief sustainability officer for JBS Foods, spoke next and said companies that emit greenhouse gases should not think of emissions as a liability, but rather a signal. “It’s a signal of inefficiency,” said Weller. “It’s a signal of lost economic productivity, (like) food loss and waste is a loss of economic productivity. It reframes the conversation, when you’re looking at innovation and technology and the technical assistance to be able to go after that missed opportunity to create more food and better outcomes.”

He described a “twin balance” of responsibilities and issues facing farmers and food producers: growing more food in an environmentally friendly manner that appeals to food companies and maintaining their financial bottom lines. “These are tough economic times, especially for row crop producers,” Weller said. “If we want to meet these global challenges to feed the world sustainably, environmentally and economically, we have to have American agriculture at the table leading the charge.”

The NPC gathering lasted for several hours. Panelists continued to discuss how American agricultural leadership can drive conservation and sustainability solutions that benefit producers, communities and food systems worldwide.The webinar, sponsored by Agri-Pulse, is archived online at https://www.agri-pulse.com/dccop302025.