An Act promoting agriculture resilience and sustainability

This bill redirects 10% of existing state funds to a new Disaster Relief and Resiliency Trust Fund (previously allocated to pension and retiree funds), specifically to support agricultural resilience. It creates a program compensating farmers for ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and water filtration, with payments tied to third-party verified outcomes. The bill prioritizes funding for regenerative farming practices, controlled-climate agriculture (e.g., greenhouses), renewable energy projects on farms (like agrivoltaics), urban agriculture development, and zero-interest loans for farmland preservation - especially for historically underserved farmers. These provisions directly affect Massachusetts farmers, agricultural businesses, and communities by providing new financial incentives and resources for sustainable operations.