Senate Agriculture Committee

Biofuel Infrastructure and Agriculture Product Market Expansion

The Inflation Reduction Act provided $500 million for grants intended to “increase the sale and use of agricultural commodity-based fuels through infrastructure improvements for blending, storing, supplying, or distributing biofuels.” Past U.S. Department of Agriculture subsidies for similar projects (such as specialized gasoline pumps designed to dispense higher blends of ethanol) have primarily benefited first-generation […]

Agricultural Risk Coverage (County and Individual)

Agricultural risk coverage (ARC) is a “shallow loss” agribusiness income guarantee program created in the 2014 farm bill. Producers of major commodity crops such as wheat, corn, soybeans and many others may choose county-based or individual coverage. The program covers shallow as opposed to deep losses experienced after severe droughts or floods. For producers choosing […]

Biobased Markets Program

Beginning with the Rural Investment Act of 2002 and further codified in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the Biobased Markets Program is a requirement for federal agencies to procure biobased products to the maximum practicable extent with a preference for products with the highest percentage of biobased ingredients; to establish a procurement […]

Forest Service Salvage Fund

This program allows the Forest Service to sell timber from public forests that fire, insects or disease have damaged at below market value rates without congressional oversight. The proceeds are diverted to a dedicated fund which is supposed to be used to administer the program and provide engineering support for future timber salvaging operations.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP provides technical assistance, cost-share payments and other incentive payments to assist crop and livestock producers with environmental and conservation improvements on agricultural land used. Beneficiaries include many large-scale producers of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) who receive taxpayer subsidies for cleaning up the waste that inevitably collects because of their operations. The 2018 farm […]

Market Access Program (MAP)

Since 1978, MAP has subsidized overseas advertising campaigns, product demonstrations, promotions and exhibitions for U.S. agribusinesses and trade associations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) administers the market promotion program.

Biodiesel Fuel Education Program

The Biodiesel Fuel Education Program provides grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to tout the supposed benefits of biodiesel fuel use. The program is intended to support advances in biodiesel fueling infrastructure, fuel quality, fuel safety and increasing feedstock production. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 farm bill) reauthorized the […]

Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels

The Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels (BPAB) is intended to pay advanced biofuel producers to expand their production levels. Other than corn starch ethanol, nearly every other type of biofuel is eligible for the program, including ethanol, biodiesel, biogas, butanol or biofuels derived from cellulose (like perennial grasses or agricultural residues), sugar or starches, waste […]