WASHINGTON, D.C. (NAFB) – Not just the climate, but the political climate is changing for carbon credit trading in agriculture.

Carbon markets have been tried with limited success before and the climate change issue has seen mixed buy-in from GOP lawmakers and producers, wary of forced participation and burdensome rules.

But for Senate Ag Ranking Member John Boozman and other Republicans, the politics of a narrowly-divided Congress and ways agriculture already mitigates carbon have changed the debate, and compromise is in the air.

Lead sponsor of the bill, Mike Braun of Indiana, worked with Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow and other Democrats to achieve a compromise.

With now more than 50 Senate co-sponsors and more than 70 agriculture and environmental groups backing the Growing Climate Solutions Act that won a unanimous committee vote recently.