This year marks the tenth anniversary of Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), a novel insurance product that offers farmers nationwide the option to insure the revenue of their entire operation, including crop, livestock, and nursery production, under a single policy. WFRP also rewards adoption of business practices that reduce risk with its premium discount for crop […]
Path to the Farm Bill: Expanding Access to Credit
Editor’s Note: This post is the sixth post in a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series of posts comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given […]
Take Action: This Farm Bill Should Center Conservation, Not Consolidation
This week, farmers, consumers, and advocates across the country are making calls to Congress with a central message: pass a farm bill for all farmers that centers conservation, not consolidation. Farm bill negotiations may be heating up once again after a standstill that has left members of Congress divided about what to prioritize. Now is the time to act. … Read More →
Find a Crop Insurance Agent Who Sells Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Near You
The USDA’s RMA has released a directory of crop insurance agents specializing in Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), aiding farmers in finding agents experienced in selling policies tailored to smaller, diversified operations. This resource, which NSAC has advocated for, aims to address the challenge of locating knowledgeable agents and is part of broader efforts to improve and expand WFRP through legislative initiatives like the WFRP Improvement Act…. Read More →
Farm, Taxpayer, Conservation Groups Agree: Don’t Raise Reference Prices
Groups at the Summit on the Future of Farm Subsidies agreed Congress must oppose increasing reference prices and curb unlimited insurance subsidies…. Read More →
Why Congress Should Mandate a Farm Credit Grant
The Farm Credit System (FCS), agriculture’s government sponsored enterprise (GSE), is a nationwide network of customer-owned lenders with a mission to support rural communities and agriculture. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) 2023 Farm Bill Platform includes a proposal that requires FCS, agriculture’s GSE, to grant 15 percent of its annual profits to support underserved producers and food systems enterprises. These grants will build upon successful programs already facilitated by some Farm Credit associations and help fulfill its mission and public mandate to serve young, beginning, and small farmers and ranchers. … Read More →
Senate Hears Commodity and Industry Perspectives on Farm Safety Net and Credit
This week, the Senate Agriculture Committee held two hearings featuring commodity and industry perspectives on the farm safety net and credit…. Read More →
GAO Urges Congress to Reduce Crop Insurance Subsidies… Again
GAO released a report urging Congress to reduce crop insurance subsidies for the highest-income participants and private insurance companies…. Read More →
Record-High Crop Insurance Subsidies Are Unsustainable
Record-high subsidies to the federal crop insurance program are unsustainable and must be curbed in the 2023 Farm Bill…. Read More →
DON’T HARM CROP INSURANCE, IMPROVE IT!
Barriers in program design and implementation leave small and nonconventional farmers without access to crop insurance…. Read More →
Big Wins on Whole-Farm Revenue Protection
The Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently announced significant changes to improve the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program…. Read More →
PLANS TO BOOST COMMODITY PRODUCTION A HOUSE OF CARDS
Recent executive actions and proposals in Congress to boost commodity production will only perpetuate a failing food and farming system…. Read More →
Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Analysis: A Few Bad Apples
Due to complicated rules, farmer skepticism, and insurance agent disinterest, the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program is not performing near its optimal potential. … Read More →
USDA Awarded $10.5 Million for Farmer Risk Management Training
In 2020 and 2021, USDA awarded almost $10.5 million to fund over 200 risk management education grants for universities and community-based organizations to help farmers learn how to better mitigate risk on their farms. Awardees included a number of NSAC members, whose projects are highlighted in our latest blog post…. Read More →
ELECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO INFLUENCE FARM POLICY AT LOCAL LEVEL
FSA County Committee elections and Urban County Committee elections are underway in certain counties. Submit your ballot by December 6th…. Read More →
Crop Insurance Rules Challenge Organic and Sustainable Farming Practices
Crop insurance definitions for good farming practices are a roadblock to farmers and ranchers trying to develop resilient systems of production…. Read More →
Livestock and Poultry Competition Reform on the Horizon
Livestock consolidation and concentration have been gaining traction in Washington, D.C. Last month, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, signaling a whole of government effort to address concentration and consolidation in US markets. Several initiatives announced could have a far-reaching impact on agriculture, including the intent to strengthen […]
The Case for Next Generation Crop Insurance
Recently, the AGree Economic and Environmental Risk Coalition (AGree E2 Coalition) released a new paper: The Case for Next Generation Crop Insurance. The comprehensive paper reviews mounting scientific evidence for the risk reduction benefits of agricultural conservation practices as well as policy barriers to broad adoption, before proposing recommendations to bring the federal crop insurance […]
Farmers Trapped in Unsustainable Cycle by Biotechnology, Seed Consolidation
A deep dive into the role that corporate consolidation and concentration play in the commoditization and appropriation of seed and farming practices and what this means for farmers. … Read More →
New Pandemic Cover Crop Program is a First Step
Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP), which will offer a $5 per acre premium discount to producers who planted qualifying cover crops during the 2021 crop year and enrolled in eligible federal crop insurance policies. The PCCP is administered by the Risk Management Agency […]