Mark Isbell, a multi-generational rice farmer from Lonoke County in Arkansas, has been appointed to serve a three-year term on USDA’s newly formed Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program Advisory Council.
The Council, informally referred to as the Growing Climate Solutions Act Advisory Council, was created to help farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners better participate in voluntary environmental or carbon credit markets.
Isbell, who is also chairman of the USA Rice Sustainability Committee, will be one of 32 members of the Growing Climate Solutions Council advising the secretary of agriculture on making those markets more accessible. At least 51% of the council members must be active farmers, ranchers or private forest landowners.
Besides leading the USA Rice sustainability efforts, Isbell serves on the USA Rice Farmers Conservation Committee and represents USA Rice on the board of directors of Field to Market, a collaboration of 190 organizations dedicated to “creating a future in which farmers, business and nature thrive.”
Zero grade rice
Isbell’s father, Chris, and grandfather, Leroy, were among the first farmers to seed rice on zero grade fields. Mark Isbell says the practice allows him and his family members who are partners in their Zero Grade Farms to use half the amount of water of more conventional rice fields.
“Now we can just hold a very shallow flood across the field without wasting any water,” he said in an interview.
The Isbell’s also use alternate wetting and drying, a technology that – besides reducing water usage – can mean their fields release less methane gas into the atmosphere, helping improve the farm’s carbon footprint.
In 2016, Zero Grade Farms received the Commitment to Quality Award from the American Carbon Registry for their efforts in sustainable rice production. The Isbell Family was also part of a group of farmers who sold the first-ever carbon credits generated from U.S. rice farming.
Climate conference
Last November, Isbell traveled with USA Rice staff members to Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in a panel discussion at COP29, the United Nations Climate Conference. The conference was attended by representatives of 200 member countries and 32,000 private sector participants.
The discussion took place at the Inter-American Institute on Cooperation in Agriculture pavilion, one of the side events which provide an opportunity for private and public sector groups to hold additional programming in conjunction with COP29.
Isbell talked about the work of rice farmers in advancing sustainable rice cultivation and reducing land and water use by more than 40% in the last four decades and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 33%.
“It became clear to us that rice was increasingly being discussed at these events, with no voice sharing the positive impact that the U.S. rice industry is making,” said Isbell. “When comparing U.S. production with other major countries, I believe the contrast becomes clear: the U.S. rice industry continues to lead the global stage.
“This event provided us with an opportunity to be part of the conversation and share the positive role our industry is playing and to promote U.S. rice internationally.” (Weiner, Ark., rice and soybean farmer Brad Doyle also participated in a panel discussion on water use in agriculture.)
USA Rice officials said USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program helped fund its participation with logistical support on the ground by Solutions from the Land, a Maryland-based non-profit, a long-time COP participant, which seeks to ensure the voice of U.S. agriculture is represented in these global conversations.