Senator Bernie Sanders spoke to an audience of over 75 organic farmers on Thursday about the issues facing family farmers in the Midwest and beyond, according to a press release from the Organic Farmers Association.

Senator Sanders’ stated agricultural policy platform includes strengthening enforcement of the organic standards, as well as incentives for beginning and disadvantaged farmers to transition to more sustainable practices. In his talk on Thursday, he emphasized the role that regenerative organic agriculture will play in mitigating climate change, bolstering family farms, and several other issues central to the 2020 campaign: “If the agricultural community can be aggressive in maintaining good soil that will absorb carbon, that will be an enormous contribution to fighting climate change,” he said. “We should be prepared to provide assistance for that.”

Attendees asked questions regarding how a Sanders administration would mitigate climate change by incentivizing adoption of regenerative organic practices on family farms, ensure fair pricing to protect small farms, and protect against organic fraud that undercuts the domestic organic market.