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The Biden administration's effort to help farmers make money from cutting their greenhouse gas emissions is drawing interest from fruit and vegetable growers.

An Agri-Pulse analysis of projects that account for the bulk of spending under the Biden administration’s Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities initiative shows it heavily relies on a relatively small number of practices. And most of the projects are paying farmers according to the practices they implement rather than for actual emission reductions.

Four major projects that are part of Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative showcase the varied approaches farm groups, companies and non-profit sponsors are taking to prove the impact of conservation practices on ag’s environmental footprint.

The Biden administration is banking on farm groups and agribusiness interests to ensure the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative has a lasting impact, even if former President Donald Trump wins in November.

Getting data from farmers is essential for evaluating the impact of climate-smart practices on greenhouse gas emissions. But getting farmers to provide that data, and keeping it private, emerged as a concern as the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities projects started being implemented.

Democrats are hoping the choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will gain them support in rural areas and in the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, but his spot on the ticket may owe as much to his progressive stances on issues such as climate change and school meals.

Farm groups are calling for stringent requirements for third-party verifiers of carbon farming projects, including knowledge of crops grown in the U.S. and specific soil types, as USDA seeks to implement the Growing Climate Solutions Act.

A project that aims to create standards and build up the hemp building and construction industry, a market advocates say holds major environmental and economic potential, was selected for federal funding. While industrial hemp has made several advancements, advocates are worried an amendment included in the House farm bill could cause havoc and limit further growth.