Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/10/19

More than 300 environmental groups, farms and other organizations today will send a letter to lawmakers asking them to "advance a Green New Deal that reflects the central role of food and agriculture in our climate crisis and its solutions," referring to the non-binding progressive proposal to shift the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels within a decade.

MA got an early look at the letter, which represents the latest call to focus on changing food and farm policies through a federal effort to curb climate change.

The coalition calls for legislation to restrict methane emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations; reduce consumption of "industrially produced animal products" and promote plant-based foods; combat ag consolidation; and other policies likely to draw pushback from the industry.

FOUR TOP FOOD COMPANIES DEBUT CLIMATE PRINCIPLES: Mars, Danone, Nestlé and Unilever — which together formed the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance — unveiled climate policy principles today that will inform their advocacy on Capitol Hill.

The two-page document endorsed a carbon pricing system that would set prices transparently. There also should be incentives for the agriculture and forestry sectors to reduce and sequester greenhouse gas emissions that are combined with technical assistance for adopting certain practices, the alliance said.

Several other principles touch on accelerating innovation in renewable energy, investing in infrastructure that's more resilient to the impacts of global warming, and ensuring vulnerable communities have the resources to take on the costs of any regulatory changes.