Climate Adaptation
Illinois Climate Smart Agriculture Brief – AFT
This Illinois specific brief, developed by American Farmland Trust (AFT), demonstrates the scale of potentially achievable reductions in estimated state-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for cropland and grazing land through the adoption of soil health management practices. They are intended to provide a snapshot of how much Illinois’ agricultural sector can contribute to state climate mitigation goals with a subset of practices. Accompanying these briefs is an updated Carbon Reduction Potential Evaluation Tool (CaRPE Tool™) and upcoming full reports that states can use to estimate climate mitigation potential from the agriculture sector.
View WebsiteIllinois Solar Siting Overview
In the last year there has been a noticeable increase in the development of commercial and utility scale solar in the Midwest. The rapid expansion creates opportunities for farmers and landowners, but also poses threats to farmland. Illinois must find a way to produce more renewable energy while protecting farmland and serving rural communities. To better understand farmer engagement with solar development, American Farmland Trust (AFT) conducted a survey and in-person interviews with landowners and operators throughout the Midwest. In these conversations, participants described various benefits and drawbacks of solar energy deployment. This summary identifies the most important issues that participants raised, alongside AFT’s research to inform Illinois’ renewable energy strategy.
View WebsiteActively Managing Your Farm’s Climate Footprint
The Nature Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Wisconsin Land & Water, and the Wisconsin Department of Ag and Consumer Trade Protection (WI-DACTP) collaborated to create a resource to assist farmers and landowners in understanding their farm’s climate footprint. This succinct handout details the types of emissions typically found on midwestern row crop farms and possible pathways to reduce those emissions. This resource underscores how sustainability on the farm connects to the Paris Agreement, the global accord that seeks to avoid the worst effects of climate change by cutting global CO2 emissions 45% by 2030.
Download DocumentsFinancing Resilient Agriculture
This report is for agricultural lenders and lending institutions, as well as others interested in understanding the climate risks faced by the agricultural lending sector and the role of agricultural lenders in financing resilient agriculture. This report provides a path forward for lenders to mitigate climate risks and finance resilient agriculture. Our hope is that it is useful to all those who are invested in the future of U.S. farms.
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TNC Illinois Climate Assesment
TNC’s statewide climate assessment brought together the expertise of more than 40 scientists and technical experts to explain the most up-to-date information on how climate change is expected to affect Illinois.
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NOAA Illinois State Climate Summary
The 2022 versions of NOAA State Climate Summaries represent a new and improved summary for each state that provides more up-to-date information on observed changes in climate, including both long-term trends and extreme weather events relevant to that state.
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