The US's National Pork Board is leading one and collaborating on two grants receiving a total of $155 million in USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding announced September 14.

The three grants are part of the $2.8 billion awarded to 70 selected projects in the first round of funding for the program.

“Pork producers stand out as leaders in sustainability with the data aggregation tools they have invested their dollars into already, continually driving to position U.S. pork as the protein of choice here and around the world,” said Ashley McDonald, VP of sustainability for NPB.

Grant 1: Advancing US Pork Sustainability and Market Value
→ Value: $20 million

This grant will incentivize soil health and manure management practice adoption and support on-farm sustainability reports for pork operations.

NPB and its partners seek to increase the sustainability of US pork products by advancing climate-smart agriculture practices in Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri, specifically measured and documented through the on-farm sustainability reports.

Grant 2: Farmers for Soil Health
→ Value: $95 million

This grant will support a program to advance the adoption of cover crops and conservation tillage in 20 states.

Farmers for Soil Health will launch a program across 20 states in the Midwest, which represent 85% of the nation’s corn and soybeans, to advance the adoption of cover crops and conservation tillage. The program contributes to Farmers for Soil Health’s goal to double the number of corn and soybean acres using cover crops to 30 million acres by 2030.

Grant 3: Connected Ag Climate-Smart Commodities Pilot Project
→ Value: $40 million

This grant will support testing and evaluating climate-smart data in all segments of agriculture in ways that add increased value and support to producers.

Led by Farm Journal’s Trust in Food, this project will expand climate-smart markets for many agricultural commodities and provide direct payments, technical assistance and data management strategies to producers of row crops, beef, dairy, pork and other commodities to adopt climate-smart practices.