Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a significant initiative by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, originally established in 1985 to address agricultural surpluses by incentivizing farmers to remove land from crop production. This initiative aimed to mitigate the economic pressures on farmers and rural communities caused by excess crop yields. Over the years, CRP has evolved into a multifaceted program focusing on environmental protection, including soil erosion prevention and carbon sequestration.
Farmers voluntarily participate in the CRP by submitting bids to receive payments for taking their land out of production for periods of ten to fifteen years. The program not only supports agricultural stability but also enhances environmental benefits, such as improved water quality and wildlife habitat. With substantial enrollment growth, CRP has contributed significantly to carbon reduction efforts and provided essential habitats for various wildlife species, particularly migratory birds. As of 2023, approximately 24.8 million acres are enrolled in the program, reflecting its ongoing importance in balancing agricultural practices with ecological preservation. Through financial support, CRP continues to aid countless agricultural producers and landowners across the nation.
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Subject Terms
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
IDENTIFICATION: Cropland reduction and conservation program of the US Department of Agriculture
DATE: Created on December 23, 1985
Initially established to reduce agricultural surpluses by encouraging farmers to reduce the amounts of land they devoted to crops, the Conservation Reserve Program has grown to become an environmental protection program as well, preventing soil erosion and reducing carbon in the atmosphere.
The history of agriculture in the United States reveals a pattern of crop production increasing faster than demand, resulting in downward pressure on crop prices and farm income. Improvements in equipment, chemicals, and seed genetics have increased yields. In 1982, farmers produced a surplus of 230 million metric tons (254 million US tons) of crops, swamping the available storage capacity. The government response, announced by President Ronald Reagan on January 11, 1983, was a payment-in-kind (PIK) program. Under this program, farmers were given certificates for crops in storage in return for taking land out of production.
The PIK program was generous, with wheat farmers getting up to 95 percent of the normal crop. Farmers responded by removing 33.3 million hectares (82.3 million acres) of cropland from the 1983 growing season. This steep reduction from the 170 million hectares (420 million acres) planted in 1982 had a devastating economic impact on small towns dependent on agriculture. Farmers bought less fuel and fertilizer, and they did not hire seasonal workers. The resulting stress on rural communities made it clear to policy makers that wide swings in the amounts of land planted were unacceptable. The US Congress responded to the overproduction issue with the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which was created under Title XII of the 1985 Food Security Act.
The twin goals of CRP were to decrease crop surpluses through reduction in land area planted and to prevent cropland erosion. Enrollment was voluntary, with farmers submitting bids for the amount of payment required to remove land from production for ten to fifteen years. Participants were paid a rental fee plus half the cost of establishing a permanent cover of trees or grasses. Enrollment increased rapidly, with approximately 13.8 million hectares (34 million acres) enrolled during the first nine sign-up periods from 1986 through 1989.
Over time Congress enhanced the environmental protection aspects of CRP. The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 extended the enrollment period through 1995 and added water-quality protection as a criterion for land selected. The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 included an Environmental Benefits Index for selection of land suitable for enrollment.
The environmental impact of CRP is substantial—ground-cover plants on CRP lands annually remove an estimated 17 million metric tons (18.7 million U.S. tons) of carbon from the atmosphere and reduce soil erosion by more than 443 million metric tons (488 million U.S. tons). These lands also provide critical habitat for wildlife, including upland game birds, grassland songbirds, and prairie mammals. CRP lands are particularly important to migratory waterfowl. Duck species that had historically nested in the Prairie Pothole region of the northern plains were in serious trouble during the 1980s, with populations near their lowest level in the preceding fifty years. Habitat provided by CRP increased the ducks’ nesting success, helping the population rebound from 25.6 million breeding ducks in 1985 to 42 million in 2009.
CRP continues as an important environmental and agricultural program. In 2023, the total acres of land enrolled in the CRP rose to 24.8 million. Additionally, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) issued more than $1.77 billion to hundreds of thousands of agircultural producers and landowners for enrolling their land in the CRP.
Bibliography
"Conservation Reserve Program." Farm Service Agency, 2024, www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/index. Accessed 15 July 2024.
Hamilton, James T. Conserving Data in the Conservation Reserve. Washington, DC: RFF, 2010. Print.
Napier, Ted, Silvana M. Napier, and Jiri Tvrdon, eds. Soil and Water Conservation Policies and Programs: Successes and Failures. Boca Raton: CRC, 2000. Print.