Every three years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asks for public comment on its National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives for addressing important environmental problems. EPA selects the initiatives based on (1) the severity of the pollution problem; (2) a determination that noncompliance with an environmental law enforced by EPA is a significant issue; and […]
Archives for January 2013
NSAC Members Set Comprehensive 2013 Agenda
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) held its semi-annual member meeting near Haines City, Florida. Every winter, NSAC members discuss, debate, and vote on the coalition’s priorities for the year. Amidst abundant sunshine, lunchtime canoe trips, and late-night bonfires, the coalition came to consensus on a wide-ranging slate of priorities for 2013. This […]
Budget Debate Takes New Turns, with Unclear Impact on Agriculture
Sometimes Washington spends a lot of time talking about how and when to proceed to looming big issues. And sometimes those process and timing decisions are very important. And sometimes the situation surrounding those process issues is very fluid. This is one of those times. Very quickly after the House GOP decided on a brand […]
34 States Shut out of Organic Farm Program by Congress and White House
On Thursday, USDA published a notice in the Federal Register reminding the 16 states eligible for the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program to submit their application by February 7 for federal assistance in order to be able to provide cost-share assistance to their certified organic farmers. Those 16 states – the 12 Northeast states plus […]
New House GOP Debt Ceiling Plan Could Affect Farm Bill
The House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday on a new plan, cobbled together last week, to raise the debt ceiling for several months without demanding any matching spending cuts. The sudden about face on the debt ceiling issue was reached during a House GOP caucus retreat in Williamsburg, VA last week. Instead of dealing […]
Microloans Now Available for Young and Beginning Farmers
Earlier this week, USDA announced the start of an exciting new loan program that will better meet the credit needs of small farms of all types, including especially young farmers and those serving local and regional food markets, including urban farmers. The final rule for the proposed microloan program was published today, and the Farm […]
The 2012 Farm Bill (that never was) Year in Review
Although 2012 ended on a sour note for farmers and ranchers across the country, there were some notable moments to celebrate for the sustainable agriculture movement, amidst all the ups and downs of the 2012 Farm Bill debate. In this final blog post of our “Path to the 2012 Farm Bill” series, we include twists […]
Rural Development Progress Report for Fiscal Year 2012
On January 9, USDA released their Rural Development Progress Report for Fiscal Year 2012. The report highlights success stories from USDA Rural Development’s active portfolio, including the following rural business development programs: $1 billion in Business and Industry loan guarantees $25.5 million in Rural Business Enterprise Grants $50.3 million in Rural Economic Development loans and […]
President’s Council Report on Agriculture — What About Ecology?
Guest Post by Doug Gurian-Sherman, Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists The new report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) addresses the state of U.S. agriculture research. The report notes that public funding for agricultural research has stagnated, while industry sources have increased greatly to 61 percent of the total—three times the […]
FDA Releases Food Safety Regulations
Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two major proposed rules detailing standards for produce safety and preventive controls for human food production. FDA is also requesting comments on its draft risk analysis on activities conducted in a facility co-located on a farm. Releasing these rules is part of FDA’s implementation of the Food […]
For Immediate Release: NSAC Statement on FDA Release of Food Safety Rules
For Immediate Release January 4, 2013 Contact: Ariane Lotti, 202-547-5754 NSAC Statement on FDA Release of Food Safety Rules Washington, DC – Today, the Food and Drug Administration released much-anticipated proposed rules detailing standards for produce safety and preventive controls for human food production. Releasing these rules is a major step in the implementation of […]
Congress Includes Awful 2008 Farm Bill Extension in Fiscal Cliff Deal
On New Year’s Eve, the Senate passed a simple extension of the 2008 Farm Bill through September 30, 2013, as part of a much bigger legislative package to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. The House approved the Senate bill late on New Year’s Day and President Obama signed it into law on January 2. The […]
January 1 Farm Bill Extension Deal is a Disaster for Farmers
For Immediate Release January 1, 2013 January 1 Farm Bill Extension Deal is a Disaster for Farmers Washington, DC – The farm bill extension deal reached in negotiations between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden is a disaster for farmers and the American people. The nine month extension measure was attached […]