For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347.563.6408
Comment: NSAC Responds to Senate Republicans’ Draft Farm Bill Summary
Washington, DC, June 11, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Senate Agriculture Committee Republicans’ farm bill framework published today.
“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is encouraged by the continued momentum toward completing a farm bill this year. For any farm bill to cross the finish line, all four corners must be fully engaged. The high-level summary released today by the Senate Agriculture Committee Minority offers curated details suggesting significant similarities to the House’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act – a bill which should not, and has no viable path to, become law. Any final farm bill must meaningfully build a more fair and accessible farm safety net, include robust investments in local and regional food systems, and provide for the full protection of climate-focused conservation resources,” said Lavender.
To date, the full legislative text has not been released in the Senate. NSAC will reserve final assessments of the bill and how it measures up against NSAC members’ priorities – from advancing racial equity to investing in healthy communities, leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized farmers, and building toward a climate-resilient future – until the full bill text becomes available.
NSAC’s in-depth analysis of the House Committee on Agriculture’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act found a bill that fails to take meaningful steps toward a more fair, resilient, and equitable food and farm system. NSAC’s analysis of the Senate Agriculture Committee Majority’s detailed section-by-section of the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024 can be found here.
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The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net