Climate stresses have real consequences for food production, affecting the yields of staple foods crops and threatening livelihoods. The many benefits we receive from forests and grasslands are also potentially threatened, as climate changes cause treelines to shift, invasive pests to destroy forests, and native grasslands to perish due to heat and water stress. The effects of climate change are complex and far-reaching, and while the scope, severity, and pace of future climate change impacts are difficult to predict, it is clear that potential changes could have important impacts on the ability of USDA to fulfill its core mission. It is for this reason that the USDA is developing a forward-looking policy for adaptation to climate change.
But what does it mean to adapt? Adaptation refers to the process of finding ways to prepare for and flexibly respond to changes in climate. Adaptation is a complex process that will require a many-pronged approach, through research, education, extension, and workforce practices. Adapting to climate is not, however, a new idea: particularly in regards to agriculture, human society has been adapting to changes in climate for a millennia, planting different crops at different altitudes, adjusting watering techniques from season to season, and shifting placement of crops depending upon seasonal weather patterns. In planning for adaptation, USDA scientists will take some of the lessons of the past and apply them to the challenges of today.

USDA is working with its scientists and stakeholders to understand how changes in climate are affecting America’s farmers and are developing new tools, such as draught-tolerant soybean strains and heat-tolerant wheat varieties, to adapt to these changes. USDA is also working with land and forest managers to identify ways in which forests can be protected from the invasive pests, like the pine-boring beetle, that are threatening America’s natural lands. And finally, USDA is looking internally to develop intra-agency practices that are sustainable, resource-efficient and require less of our Nation’s energy supply. By integrating climate change adaptation strategies into USDA’s programs and operations, the Department better ensures that taxpayer resources are invested wisely, and that USDA services and operations remain effective for our stakeholders in current and future climate scenarios.

USDA is working with the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force to implement a strategy for ensuring scientific information about climate change and adaptation options is accessible and support decision makers in their work. USDA’s policy statement on climate change adaptation may be found in DR 1070-001.