For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: Senate Farm Bill Takes A Step Forward, Significant Work Remains

Washington, DC, August 6, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Agricultural Act of 2026:

“The path to a durable farm bill for all farmers and families has always been through a robust, bipartisan process – today’s markup reinforces that. A bipartisan amendment successfully secured meaningful funding for market opportunities for local farmers, an incredibly positive step forward. Yet the inability to find bipartisan solutions to address deep cuts to popular, oversubscribed conservation programs and the SNAP program will continue to weigh this bill down until real solutions are found. NSAC thanks Senators for their diligent work to make some progress today – and encourages continued bipartisan conversation toward a bill that levels the playing field for family farmers, expands opportunity through conservation and research programs, and supports the long-term viability of local and regional supply chains.”

The final passage of the updated Agricultural Act of 2026 failed on a party line vote, 10-11, although the Committee can return to the bill in September. Stay tuned to NSAC’s blog for future updates, analysis, and coverage of the farm bill reauthorization. Find our deep dive analysis of the original Senate ‘discussion draft’ farm bill from June 2026 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