Environmental Quality Incentives Program

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides financial assistance to farmers who adopt or install conservation practices on land in agricultural production. Common practices include nutrient management, conservation tillage, cover crops, field-edge filter strips, and fences to exclude livestock from streams. The National Organic Initiative is funded through EQIP, and provides technical and financial assistance for organic farmers and ranchers, or those interested in transitioning to organic. The EQIP Improvement Act, introduced in 2018, would prioritize funding at the state and county level for the most effective conservation practices, while also reducing the maximum cost-sharing from 75 to 40% for less beneficial practices.