Farmers to Get Back Climate Data After Lawsuit Against USDA

In a significant development for the agricultural sector, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has committed to reinstating crucial climate data that was removed from its website when former President Trump took office. This decision comes after a lawsuit filed in February by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, alongside environmental groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group. The deleted data had been vital for farmers, aiding them in navigating climate-related risks like heat waves, droughts, and wildfires.

Court documents reveal that the USDA will restore information that included federal funding and loans, and crucial climate projections through tools like the U.S. Forest Service’s "Climate Risk Viewer." Farmers had argued that the absence of this information impaired their ability to make timely and informed decisions regarding their operations. In a letter addressed to Judge Margaret M. Garnett, U.S. attorney Jay Clayton stated that the restoration process has already begun and is expected to be completed in about two weeks.

Clayton requested to postpone an upcoming court hearing, indicating plans to provide a progress report on the restoration efforts. Jeffrey Stein, an associate attorney for Earthjustice, which represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, expressed satisfaction over the USDA's recognition that the deletion of climate-related information has adversely affected farmers and communities nationwide. As the agriculture community awaits the return of this essential data, observers see this case as a reflection of the ongoing battle over environmental policies in the U.S.