FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347.563.6408
Comment: More Than Fifty Food, Farm, and Conservation Organizations Call on Congressional Appropriators to Protect Agriculture Research
Washington, DC, June 12, 2023 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Nick Rossi, NSAC Policy Specialist, in response to a letter that was delivered to Congressional Appropriators on Friday, June 9, 2023, urging them to protect publicly funded agriculture research, especially funding for USDA’s innovative climate change research. The letter was sent on behalf of more than 50 food, farm, conservation, and rural organizations.
“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is proud to join this network of more than 50 organizations representing farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers, in calling on the House Appropriations Committee to oppose reductions in public funding for climate change-related agriculture research. We feel strongly that investing in research at the intersection of agriculture and climate change is paramount for short-term and long-term efforts to safeguard the industry’s viability. Farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, facing droughts, floods, heat stress, and evolving pest threats. By investing in public research, the federal government can equip farmers with the tools and innovation they need to adapt and mitigate climate change, improve food security, revitalize rural communities, protect livelihoods, ensure farmworker safety and dignity, and build resilience. We urge the House Appropriations Committee to reject any cuts to publicly funded agriculture research, particularly for the USDA’s groundbreaking climate change research.”
The full letter submitted to Representative Andy Harris (R-MD 1) and Representative Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-GA-2), the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations is available here.
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
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