New York Invests $1.1M in Cornell Soil Health Fund

By Blake Jackson

New York Attorney General Letitia James has allocated $1.1 million to establish the new Soil Health Climate Smart Agriculture Fund at Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The initiative will support farmers across the state in adopting practices that strengthen soil health and advance climate-smart agriculture-an approach designed to boost productivity and farm income while improving resilience to climate change and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The funding stems from a settlement with JBS USA, the world’s largest beef producer, over allegations that the company misled consumers about its pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

“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 funds received by the university on Jan. 16, will directly support the New York Soil Health Program within the CALS School of Integrative Plant Science. Leaders say the investment will expand outreach, research demonstrations, and farmer education efforts statewide.

“We are grateful that Attorney General James recognizes the strength of our research and extension programs for improving soil health, combating the impacts of climate change, and increasing agricultural profits,” said Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS.

“This funding will enlist Cornell’s expertise to lower farmer input costs, improve soil organic matter quality and empower the soil’s natural biology for long-term sustainability.”

“The attorney general’s support of the CALS program is an opportunity to support farm families, meet food access needs with healthy foods produced on healthy soils, protect our natural resources and fight climate change,” said Julie Suarez, associate dean for land-grant affairs.

Program staff plan to expand workshops, field demonstrations, mobile classroom outreach, and soil testing services to ensure broad impact across New York agriculture.

Photo Credit: pexels-jan-kroon