North Dakota Agriculture Industry Expresses Great Concern Regarding Current Climate Change Legislation 

5/18/09

Organizations representing North Dakota’s agriculture industry expressed concerns Monday regarding the ramifications the climate change legislation now under consideration in Congress will have on agriculture.  It appears that climate change legislation could have a disastrous effect in North Dakota by forcing substantially increased costs onto the state’s agricultural industry while, at the same time, providing negligible benefits both locally and globally.

Addressing that “climate change legislation could literally bite the hand that feeds us,” the groups stated that trade barriers and restrictions envisioned by climate change legislation would drastically reduce the competitiveness of North Dakota agriculture on a global scale.

The announcement came in a statement of joint principles on the issue of climate change, which has been a sensitive and heavily debated subject. The letter notes “greenhouse gas emissions from the entire agricultural sector represented only 6.4 percent of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.”

Organizations signing onto the statement include the North Dakota Grain Growers Association, North Dakota Farm Bureau, Northern Canola Growers Association, AmeriFlax, North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, North Dakota Grain Dealers Association, North Dakota Soybean Growers Association, North Dakota Corn Growers Association, Northern Pulse Growers Association, North Dakota Wheat Commission and the North Dakota Barley Council.

The full statement is available online at www.ndgga.com

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