Bills to Watch For #2

A three-part guide to community food systemsrelevant legislation during Oregon’s 2019 session

Amy Wong, Phillip Kennedy-Wong, and Megan Kemple

OCFSN Policy Committee

February 2, 2019

• Our Vision: All Oregonians thrive with healthy, affordable foods from an environmentally and economically resilient regional food system.

• Supportive public policy is essential to achieving our vision.

• The OCFSN Policy Committee creates space and opportunity to inform, educate, learn from, respectfully challenge, and build common cause across our wide diversity of interests within the food system.

• Resources: ocfsn.net/policy-committee/

• Google Form: to tell us which bills you’re tracking

• Follow-up survey

OCFSN and Public Policy

http://ocfsn.net/?page_id=1733&preview=truehttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1j7SQr7BtDmhnm_4JUO8j3XxTVe-RcLKammvd8ZU3lwU/edit?ts=5bb539ea

Outline

• SB 434: aims to protect Oregon’s specialty seed industry

• Continued one-time funding for: Hunger response fund; Farm Direct Nutrition for low-income seniors and WIC families

• HB 2020: Clean Energy Jobs bill

Speakers and Outline

Phillip Kennedy-WongPolicy AdvocateOregon Food Bank

Amy WongDirectorCultivate Oregon

Megan KempleCoordinatorOregon Climate and Agriculture Network

Protect the Vegetable Specialty Seed Industry

SB 434Identical HB TBD; filed Friday

Creates patent holder/manufacturer liability for genetically-engineered GE contamination events

in Oregon. Does not pit farmer against farmer.

Why is this needed

• Federal GE regulations are inadequate

• There are no statewide regulations in OR

• All counties, except Jackson, are preempted from making decisions about what types of seeds are grown in their jurisdiction

• The ban on growing canola in the Willamette Valley sunsets later this year. Canola poses exceptional threats to the specialty seed industry and it is unclear what ODA will do

“All Oregonians thrive with healthy affordable foods from an environmentally and economically resilient regional food system.”

• Seeds = life

• Unique seed growing capacity threatened

• Diversified, organic farming takes environmental and other externalities into account better than chemical-intensive GE farming

• The integrity of organic seed stocks is important for the future of ag in Oregon and beyond

Pros & Cons

Success?

Concerns

• Will drive out the biotech industry

• Will flood the courts

• Will create a hostile environment for tech and business development

Threats

Needs

• Review our materials; include them in your lobby day

• Contact your legislators and submit testimony

• Testify at a hearing

• Share Farm Bureau and Republican and conservative Democratic legislator connections who might change their mind

• Share parties/stakeholders interested in this legislation

• Funding

• Share ideas for future legislation to move this issue, at least incrementally

Questions & Contact InfoAmy Wong

amy@cultivateoregon.org (805) 455 4200

mailto:amy@cultivateoregon.org

Continued one-time funding for:

• Hunger response fund

• Farm Direct Nutrition for low-

income seniors

• Farm Direct Nutrition for WIC

families

ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAMS

STATE AGENCY

2017-19 ADOPTED 2019-21 BUDGET

Budget One-timeGovernor’s

RecommendedREQUESTED w/ one-time

funds OR Hunger

Response FundDHS $2.9 million $1.3 million $2.9 million $4.2 million

Farm Direct Nutrition: Low-Income Seniors

OHA $86,888 $200,000 $6,025 $286,888

Farm Direct Nutrition: WIC

FamiliesOHA $227,421 $1,000,000 $262,598 $1,227,421

Below are food programs with one-time funds that Oregon Food Bank is requesting to continue for the 2019-21 biennium. Continuing one-time funds in these programs ensures that Oregon keep the recent momentum in reducing hunger.

Oregon Food Bank

Questions for Phillip?

OCFSN WebinarFebruary 4, 2019

WHY IT’S TIME TO ACT

• Oregon is already experiencing climate impacts• Wildfires, drought, economic impacts, and others…

• Science demands action• New IPCC report says that we only have 10-15 years

• Oregonians will benefit• Economic investment and innovation, improved health

and associated cost savings, more clean energy jobs• Oregonians want action

• Over three-quarters of Oregonians support action• 2018 election

• Oregon can lead the way for other states

CAPPING OREGON’S CLIMATE POLLUTION

CEJ enforces existing climate goals and sets an interim target:• 2035: 45% GhG reduction below 1990 levels• 2050: 80% GhG reduction below 1990 levels

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CLEAN ENERGY JOBS BILL OVERVIEW

CAP• Largest emitters must hold permits for annual climate pollution

(~80% of state GhG emissions)• Cap declines gradually through 2050 (80% below 1990 levels)• Starts in 2021

PRICE• Establish marketplace with allowances (permits). Total # of

allowances = # of capped emissions in year 1, decreases each year• Link with Western Climate Initiative Inc. (WCI) for joint auctions• Consistent, increasing price per ton of GhG throughout the region

INVEST• Auction proceeds reinvested annually in emissions reductions and

climate resilience/adaptation via clean energy, energy efficiency, transportation, and natural and working lands

• Prioritizes rural and urban impacted communities across Oregon

BILL STATUS

• Bill introduced February 1 (LC 894/HB 2020)• Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction• Commitments from Leadership• Lobby Day on February 6th

Agricultural Incentives in

the Clean Energy Jobs Bill

Climate change and agriculture

Oregon farmers are dealing with the effects of climate change right now.

Climate change exposes farms and crops to smoke, extreme and unpredictable

temperatures, droughts and floods.

In Eastern Oregon last winter huge onion storage houses collapsed under snow

In S. Oregon last summer there was no tourist market for farms because of smoke

Farmworkers are working in unsafe conditions including smoke and extreme heat

Climate change and agriculture

We need strong climate policy to stabilize the climate that Oregon agriculture depends on

and to incentivize climate friendly practices.

Oregon’s farms can help to stabilize the climate by:

• reducing energy use

• utilizing renewables

• adopting practices that sequester carbon in the soil!

Incentives for agriculture in the bill

The Clean Energy Jobs bill provides funding for projects that reduce and

sequester greenhouse gas emissions and promote adaptation and resilience in

the face of climate change.

Farmers may benefit in two ways:

1) from grant funds to adopt/maintain climate-friendly practices

2) from selling offset credits to regulated parties.

Offset Projects

Agriculture and Forestry, the two uncapped sectors, can generate offsets credits for projects that result in greenhouse gas emissions reductions or removals that are:

• real

• permanent

• quantifiable

• verifiable

• enforceable

• in addition to reductions that would otherwise occur.

Offset Projects

• Developing and registering offset projects can be expensive and time consuming.

• The level of quantification and market administration that is needed, makes offset markets bureaucratic and expensive.

• Small and mid-scale ag producers may find that they don’t qualify for a sufficient number of offset credits to make the application and verification process worth

their time and money.

Offset Projects

• The bill does allow for aggregation, which could allow for smaller farms to join together to participate.

• There would be an offset protocol advisory committee to provide guidance in developing offset protocols, including at least one agriculture expert

Examples of potential Oregon-specific offsets

could include:

• preserving and increasing soil carbon (through cover crops, crop rotations, no till and conservation tillage)

• rotational grazing

• avoiding the conversion of natural lands to cropping systems

• reduced nitrous oxide emissions,

“Permanence” and “additionality” requirements may make these difficult.

Grant funded projects:

Proceeds would go to several grant programs including a Climate Investments

Fund.

Moneys in the Climate Investments Fund may be used for projects, programs

and activities that reduce and sequester greenhouse gas emissions and promote

adaptation and resilience in the face of climate change.

Grant funded projects:

Investments may include:

Funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support greenhouse gas sequestration

or support adaptation or resiliency through investments in working lands, including:

• investments in agricultural practices that serve to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or promote carbon sequestration,

• irrigation efficiency projects,

• methane emissions reduction or recovery projects.

Grant funded projects:

Could fund practices that sequester carbon in the soil such as: carbon farming practices (including cover crops, compost application, no-till/reduced till, conservation plantings such as hedgerows, rotational grazing and silvopasture),

Enhanced nutrient management

Alternative manure management

Purchases of energy efficient equipment and renewables such as installation of energy efficient irrigation, and generation of solar energy for on-site use.

In Summary

Oregon’s Proposed Cap & Invest Policy offers a powerful framework for the ag community to be a part of the solution by providing grant funds and/or offset credits for these climate-friendly practices

The grant funds, rather than offset credits are likely to be more accessible to small and mid-sized farms.

The Clean Energy Jobs bill recognizes that farms are an important part of the solution to the problem of a changing climate and provides great opportunities for Oregon’s farmers to take part and benefit from the program.

Threats

The Oregon Farm Bureau is expressing concerns about:

1) Fuel prices (claiming they will increase)

2) Offsets (“punishing early adopters”)

3) Incentives (they don’t seem interested)

OrCAN’s Concerns about HB 2020

Funding for technical assistance is needed

There are too many regulated entities receiving free allowances

which if not addressed will result in very limited funding available

through the Climate Investments Fund.

What’s Next

Make sure the bill is strong, free allowances are limited and that ag incentives are maintained.

Be involved in the rule making process.

Ensure the Offset Protocol Advisory Committee and any other Committees with ag representatives, include small and sustainable farms

Engagement

Over 200 farms and other agricultural stakeholders have signed on to this letter urging the legislature to take action and pass the Clean Energy Jobs bill this session.

OrCAN will share opportunities for engagement and endorsement via OCFSN newsletter and listserv.

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/49fc7a_65b987403a744e80a1bdf11040b217f2.pdf

Questions for Megan?

More questions for our speakers?

For more information:ocfsn.net/policy-committee/

http://ocfsn.net/?page_id=1733&preview=true