(NAFB) – House Ag Committee Chair David Scott and fellow Democrats sent a letter to House and Senate leadership asking them to preserve the ag spending provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

They point out that the provisions included in the agriculture portion of the Build Back Better Act will make transformative investments that will benefit agricultural producers and rural communities for years in areas of agricultural research, rural development, renewable energy, biofuels, conservation, and forestry.

“America has been the world leader in agricultural research and innovation, but that position is at risk if we do not make key investments in research and education programs,” they say in the letter.

The Democrats also note that the funding provided for climate-smart agricultural practices will help address the fact that the current farm bill conservation programs are already oversubscribed, with continuing backlogs that show the demand from producers and landowners who are willing to undertake efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and rebuild soil carbon.

“We encourage you to keep these crucial investments in place, and we look forward to furthering discussions on the importance these investments will have, especially as we prepare to write the next Farm Bill,” they added.