Accomplishments

20 Years of Building the Foundation for a New Farm and Food System

Over its 20-year history, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has been committed to establishing and securing support and funding for dozens of programs that promote conservation; foster family farm agriculture; build new markets and businesses; and develop sustainable and organic research, education and extension. Read about NSAC’s success stories.

Promoting Conservation

· Developed the nation’s first-ever “green payments” program supporting advanced stewardship systems through the Conservation Stewardship Program

· Restored and rebuilt conservation cost-share assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program

· Ensured flexible support for local innovative conservation projects through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative

· Encouraged new organic farming to advance environmental gains through Organic Conversion Assistance

· Organized opposition to weak environmental regulation of concentrated animal feeding operations

· Secured major new research and conservation investments in managed rotational grazing

· Promoted restoration and protection of agricultural wetlands through the Wetlands Reserve Program

· Secured payments for conservation buffers to improve water quality and habitat through continuous enrollment options in the Conservation Reserve Program

· Established strong roles for farmers and NGOs to influence the shape of conservation programs through State Technical Committees

Fostering Family Farm Agriculture

· Campaigned for the removal of commodity program penalties against diversified crop rotations typical of mid-sized family farms using sustainable systems

· Achieved comprehensive contract fairness reforms to protect contract feeders from unjust mandatory arbitration clauses and other unreasonable contract provisions

· Developed the first-ever competition title in the farm bill to begin to reverse decades of unregulated concentration of the livestock industry

· Supported innovative loans to help new farmers buy their first land through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Down Payment Loan Program

· Secured targeted federal credit assistance to beginning and minority farmers through set-asides, target participation rates, and special incentives

· Expanded outreach, education and assistance for beginning and minority farmers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

· Established sustainable and organic farming as “good farming practices” ending federal crop insurance program discrimination against alternative systems; adjusted the Gross Revenue insurance alternative for diversified producers

Building New Markets and Businesses

· Aided farmers seeking higher returns and more sustainable businesses through the Value-Added Producer Grants Program

· Increased opportunities for direct marketing from small family farms to consumers through the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program

· Secured financial and technical assistance for very small business start-ups through the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program

· Organized opposition to federal meat label claim standards that would destroy niche markets while working to secure revised, strong pro-family farm, pro-consumer labels

· Advocated loan guarantees for local and regional food enterprises to help rebuild infrastructure for a healthy food system

· Supported the growth of organic agriculture through the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program

· Ensured the integrity of the organic brand by monitoring and advocating for proper implementation of the National Organic Program.

Developing Sustainable Research, Education, and Extension

· Created and steadily expanded the award-winning, keystone Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program

· Supported the establishment of the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative as a first step toward a fair share of federal research dollars for organic system

· Secured funding for research projects that foster small farms, environmental protection, rural economic and community development, and new markets through the Fund for Rural America, the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems, the National Research Initiative, and now the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

· Promoted accessibility to national sustainable agriculture information through the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Program

Ensuring a Safe Food Supply and Thriving Family Farms

Led the campaign to secure provisions in the Food Safety Modernization Act that: