Legal Victory Forces USDA To Restore Vanished Climate Data Farmers Need

The USDA’s about-face came just days before a federal judge was set to hear an injunction motion filed by a coalition of ticked-off agricultural and environmental groups. Among them: the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Environmental Working Group. Their legal firepower came courtesy of Earthjustice and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

The lawsuit, filed in February, didn’t mince words. It accused the USDA of violating federal transparency laws when it directed staff to “identify and archive or remove any landing pages related to climate change.” No warning, no explanation, just *poof*—gone. Farmers were left scratching their heads, wondering what happened to federal loan opportunities and interactive climate mapping tools they relied on.

Agriculture generates about 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making farmers key players in climate policy debates. But politics aside, farmers need cold, hard science to deal with increasingly volatile weather. Floods, wildfires, prolonged drought—farmers face it all.

The absence of critical climate data hindered farmers’ ability to adapt to changing weather patterns, especially when considering that fossil fuels account for about 75% of emissions globally and agriculture must plan accordingly.

The USDA promised in a letter to the federal district judge that content restoration would be mostly complete within two weeks. Everything from federal loan opportunities to interactive climate mapping tools will return to their rightful place online. Internal emails revealed the agency had systematically categorized climate pages into tiered removal groups based on how prominently they discussed climate change. The plaintiffs retain the right to pursue further litigation if the USDA fails to fulfill its restoration commitments.

NOFA-NY, which promotes sustainable food systems, called the reversal “a significant victory” for its members. Anne Schechinger echoed this sentiment, dubbing it “a significant victory for the climate, the environment and farmers.”

Let’s be real. Farmers need this data regardless of political affiliation. When your livelihood depends on the weather, knowledge isn’t just power—it’s survival.