New York Attorney General Letitia James has directed $1.1 million to support the new Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences New York Soil Health Climate Smart Agriculture Fund, aimed at working with farmers to promote healthy soils. Focusing on soil health provides a foundation for “climate-smart agriculture,” farming methods that seek to increase production and income, build resistance to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The funds originate from a settlement by Attorney General James with JBS USA, the world’s largest producer of beef products, for “allegedly misleading the public about its commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040,” according to a statement from the Attorney General’s office.
“New Yorkers deserve the truth when it comes to the environmental impact of the products they buy,” said Attorney General James. “JBS USA made sweeping promises about its parent company’s climate impacts despite the company having no real plan to back those promises up. My office will always hold companies accountable when they mislead New Yorkers and harm our planet.”
The proceeds, which the university received on Jan. 16, will go directly to the New York Soil Health Program in the School of Integrative Plant Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) so that the statewide translational research program can expand their outreach and demonstrations to farmers on various aspects of improving soil health to promote climate-smart agriculture.
Source : cornell.edu