WASHINGTON, Dec.6, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is updating the Federal crop insurance program to affirm the use of USDA conservation practices as Good Farming Practices for crop insurance. Recently, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently updated the Good Farming Practices Handbook, as part of the agency’s broader efforts to support conservation and climate-smart activities as well as to improve crop insurance for agricultural producers. 

“RMA wants to encourage America’s farmers and ranchers to integrate conservation and climate-smart practices into their operations.  These practices are both good for the environment and good for production and yield,” RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger said. “This update affirms producers can have peace of mind that using conservation practices will not impact their crop insurance. We are supporting stewardship-minded producers as well as the crop insurance agents selling insurance with clearer, simpler policy around conservation practices.” 

The updated handbook recognizes all conservation practices offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as Good Farming Practices for crop insurance. Essentially, appropriate use of NRCS conservation practices will have no impact on crop insurance coverage, which affirms how the rules have worked on the ground for years. 

Additionally, in the handbook, NRCS is recognized as an agricultural expert resource for cover crop management systems. 

This updated handbook builds on similar efforts, including RMA’s designation of planting cover crops as a Good Farming Practice in 2019.