FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Reana Kovalcik
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net
Just in Time for the New Year, a New Farm Bill
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds swift action on final 2018 Farm Bill,
readies for next stages
Washington, DC, December 20, 2018 – Following nearly two years of intense debate and several suspenseful months in farm bill limbo, today the President signed the “Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018,” otherwise known as the 2018 Farm Bill. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), a coalition of over 120 farm and food-focused organizations working together to advance sustainable agriculture through federal policy and grassroots advocacy, issued the following statement in response:
“America’s family farmers, rural communities, and food insecure families have waited long enough for a new farm bill,” said Juli Obudzinski, NSAC Interim Policy Director.“We are grateful that the President did not impose any further delays on this already prolonged process, and thank him for moving swiftly to sign the 2018 Farm Bill into law.”
“Though the final bill included both victories and disappointments for the sustainable agriculture community,” said Obudzinski, “we want to emphasize for everyone who cares about the future of our farm and food system that the work doesn’t stop here. Farm bills might be passed every five years, but the reality is that they are a massive undertaking that take many years to develop, and many more to fully implement and evaluate. The next stages of this process – rulemaking, administrative reform, and program implementation – will be just as important as the legislative phase we’ve just completed.”
“NSAC looks forward to working with our members and allies across the country to ensure that the policy wins achieved in the 2018 Farm Bill are actualized, and that they work for our farmers, rural communities, and other key stakeholders. We are also committed to continuing the fight against policies that promote farm consolidation, jeopardize food access for hungry families, and weaken programs vital for protecting our shared natural resources in these upcoming next stages of the farm bill process.”
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance thatadvocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic,and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and ruralcommunities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net