Source: POLTICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 7/8/20

Support for policies to combat climate change jumped by more than 20 percent among rural, Midwestern voters when those initiatives involved financial incentives for ag producers to adopt climate-friendly farm practices and technology, according to a new report by Duke University.

Putting farmers front and center swayed voters’ responses, with more than 80 percent of those surveyed saying the money would be well-spent on such efforts. When farmers weren’t mentioned, that support dropped to 63 percent. There was an even sharper divide among Republicans: Only 39 percent supported government funding for climate programs generally, while 77 percent backed such spending when farmers were the beneficiaries.

The research is a deeper dive into rural voters’ attitudes toward climate change with a focus on the Upper Midwest, and it’s based on a poll of more than 400 people. The study follows a report published earlier this year that found that rural voters across the U.S. care about the environment just as much as their urban counterparts — but deep skepticism of government and other institutions can override their support for policies aimed at improving water quality or slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

More findings: The majority of rural, Midwestern voters felt that it was important for the U.S. to take action on climate change, but the level of concern is highly polarized along party lines. More than 90 percent of rural Democrats in the Midwest felt that it was “very important” or “pretty important,” compared to 36 percent of Republicans.

The backdrop: House Democrats last week unveiled their sweeping climate plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, an ambitious blueprint that included farm initiatives like expanding conservation programs and boosting climate-related ag research. Attracting support from rural America will be critical to passing any major climate legislation in the future.