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Advocacy

Creating champions, increasing engagement

Impact

At CHS, we know that governmental policies and regulations have an impact on business decisions. It is imperative that we educate policymakers about the impact of legislation, rules and regulations. With deep expertise and up-to-the-minute information, our government affairs team amplifies the voice of CHS and our owners so that the viewpoint of farmers, ranchers and rural communities is clearly heard.

  • Three people standing in safety vests in front of farm buildings
    Jerry Kramer (CHS GM Herman), U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN) and CHS Director Dave Johnsrud

Representing CHS and our owners

The CHS government affairs team represents CHS owners and stakeholders to the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. and state governments, independent government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and industry specific groups. Working at the forefront of policymaking, the CHS government affairs team ensures CHS is a leading voice engaging with policymakers who influence the decisions that impact agriculture, the cooperative system, and rural America. The government affairs team works with CHS owners and stakeholders to create a larger opportunity for CHS to engage and use its voice in the public policy discussion – a unified voice that is an industry leader.

U.S. Capitol during sunset

The team works to:

  • Protect CHS and our owners
  • Proactively advance CHS interests
  • Inform CHS decision makers about government initiatives important to their business
  • Influence external decision makers

Beyond influencing and informing, the CHS government affairs team is responsible for staffing the CHS Board of Directors Government Relations Committee and CHS Annual Meeting Resolutions Committee. If you have any questions about federal or state public policy please email us.

Your engagement

People connecting with policy. It isn’t just a phrase, it’s an action plan that strengthens the relationship between CHS and policymakers. The CHSPAC, the political action committee of CHS, provides employees and producers an opportunity to join with others to bring the CHS voice to the forefront. By voluntarily pooling their personal financial resources to support the CHSPAC, eligible employees and producers help elect candidates at the state and federal level of government, connecting and empowering the CHS community.

 

CHSPAC practices transparency and thoughtful consideration to identify and support candidates who understand and are sympathetic to economic and regulatory challenges facing the agribusiness, agronomy, and energy sectors. Led by an eight-member advisory committee, criteria are evaluated on an annual basis to guide the decision making to ensure a fair and non-partisan method of political giving. Participation in the CHSPAC is limited by the Federal Election Campaign Act, which governs the CHSPAC's activities and reporting requirements.

 

Contributions to CHSPAC are not tax-deductible and are completely voluntary. CHS will not favor or disadvantage anyone by reason of the amount contributed or a decision not to contribute. Copies of CHSPAC reports are filed with the Federal Election Commission and are available at fec.gov.

 For information on how to become a CHSPAC member, please email us.

Government in action

U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate

Policy positions

  • Carbon trading markets
    • CHS supports voluntary, incentive-based policies that encourage farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, including favorable terms on government loans and other financial support programs.
    • CHS does not support actions that would tie adoption of climate-smart practices to a farmer’s or rancher’s ability to participate in federally funded risk management programs, such as crop insurance, Title 1 commodity programs (ARC/PLC), Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) or Livestock Gross Margin coverage.
    • Policies must be equitable across geographies, crops and grazing operations.
    • Policies must fully include early adapters who are already engaging in climate-smart practices.
    • CHS supports carbon reduction and conservation policies that keep land in production, rather than land retirement programs (CRP).
    • CHS supports the Growing Climate Solutions Act.
    • USDA should develop consistent, credible, science-based criteria to account for the carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reduction benefits of climate-smart agriculture practices.
    • USDA should define climate-smart practices as practices that:
      • Provide climate benefits, including increased sequestration and/or reduced greenhouse gas emissions
      • Meet the growing demand for food, fiber, fuel, despite the changing climate and fewer opportunities for agricultural expansion onto additional lands
      • Contribute to economic development, poverty reduction and food security 
      • Maintain and enhance the productivity and resilience of natural, agricultural and forest ecosystem functions, to build natural capital
      • Develop adaptation and mitigation approaches 
      • Reduce tradeoffs encountered in the pursuit of these goals.
  • E15
    • CHS strongly supports E15 and other high ethanol blends and advocates for policies that aim to expand its adoption and use, including federal legislation that would legalize the year-round sale of E15 nationwide.
    • Expanding E15 use requires infrastructure investments. CHS believes governments should act to reduce the cost burden of those investments.
    • CHS supports fully funding grant programs like Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), which provide funding for retailers to install the infrastructure necessary for E15 sales, such as underground storage tanks.
    • To show commitment to making E15 more accessible, CHS is one of a few ethanol producers that have completed all federal requirements to produce E15 by registering our ethanol and ethanol plants with the EPA, submitting a Misfueling Mitigation Plan and creating a survey plan. While it is costly and time-consuming to complete these steps, doing so is the right thing to do for our owners and customers and illustrates that CHS wants to be a leader in E15.
    • CHS is making E15 more accessible for consumers by removing barriers for our 1,400-plus Cenex branded retailers, including approving E15 as a grade of gas for retailers and building access through terminals across the CHS footprint.
  • Higher octane fuels
    • CHS supports adoption of a 95 research octane number (RON) to decrease carbon emissions, increase efficiency of internal combustion engines and meet current and future CAFE standards.
    • A 95 RON is beneficial to our energy and grain businesses by offering demand protection for ethanol and corn, while promoting liquid fuels as a responsible energy source into the future.
    • CHS is unable to support a 98 RON due to the increased economic and logistical issues it would present to our energy business.
  • Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
    • The unique CHS operational footprint requires analysis of proposed low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) legislation provisions including compliance timeline, impact to rural communities, off-ramp mechanisms and updated fuel pathway modeling (e.g., canola, corn, renewable diesel, soybean)
    • CHS supports grower participation in the decarbonization value stream (e.g., grower practices that reduce carbon intensity through fuel and crop applications).
    • CHS supports a low carbon fuel standard incorporating a realistic liquid fuel compliance timeline with regulatory and legislative actions that recognize the necessary role of liquid fuels in any transition to EVs and that do not result in demand destruction favoring electrification.

Have a question regarding the impact of legislation on cooperatives and agriculture?

Email the CHS government affairs team
CHS resolutions committee
Producer priorities
Policy resolutions adopted by CHS producers
Two people checking on crops in a field
Developing future cooperative leaders
The CHS New Leaders political advocacy trips to Washington, D.C., with the CHS government affairs team provides an opportunity for current and future cooperative leaders to connect with members of Congress and administration officials about issues that impact our farmer-owners’ businesses and the cooperative system. The political advocacy program is designed for alumni of the CHS New Leaders Forum.