The guest post from the Flower Hill Institute outlines progress made in diversifying and strengthening the meat and poultry processing industry in the US through the Biden Administration’s funding initiatives, such as cooperative expansions, regional enterprises, and tribal initiatives. Despite significant demand for resources, the post highlights challenges and emphasizes the importance of sustained funding, technical assistance, and regulatory support for small processors to ensure continued growth and resilience in the sector…. Read More →
NSAC’S Blog
Release: NSAC Publishes Unsustainable: State of the Farm Safety Net
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has released a new report, Unsustainable: State of the Farm Safety Net. The farm safety net includes crop insurance, commodity, and disaster programs that farmers and ranchers rely on when disaster strikes – but it leaves small to mid-sized, beginning, and diversified farmers behind. This report reveals which states and commodities received the most farm subsidies from 2017 to 2022 and argues these costly programs are not suited to meet the needs of all producers in the face of worsening climate change…. Read More →
RFA Roundup: Spring 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Funding Opportunities
USDA has announced several funding opportunities for sustainable agriculture. This blog post outlines the funding guidelines, application deadlines, and program requirements for a range of food and farm system grants funded through USDA that are currently accepting applications. The funding opportunities fall into three categories: Research and Education, Local Food (including urban and rural-focused programs) and Nutrition, Climate, Conservation, and Energy…. Read More →
NSAC Members Meet in DC for Annual Meeting
NSAC members gathered in Washington, DC between January 29 and February 1, 2024, to work together on the coalition’s campaigns and strategy for the following months. This post shares some highlights from the member meeting and our Hill Day that followed. … Read More →
Release: 2022 Census of Agriculture Underscores Need for Policy Shift
Today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the highly-anticipated results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The Census remains the most comprehensive source of agricultural data for states and counties across the United States and serves as a guide for federal farm program, policy, and funding decisions. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) welcomes the release of the 2022 Census of Agriculture data, which comes at a crucial moment for federal agriculture policy…. Read More →
Farmer Roundtable Highlights Urgent Need to Bolster IRA Funding for Sustainable Farming
This post highlights some of the farmers who came from across the country to discuss firsthand how the IRA has provided much-needed, long-sought federal funding to bolster farmer-led conservation efforts. Their stories of how climate change is affecting their farms were shared at a public roundtable hosted by the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) looking at the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) transformational investments in climate and clean energy solutions for America’s food producers. … Read More →
Release: NSAC Applauds Introduction of the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act of 2024
The Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act provides common-sense, straightforward support for high-impact perennial practices through NCRS conservation programs. It also ensures increased technical capacity at USDA for new and exciting perennial practices through a series of agroforestry centers. This bill is a win for farmers committed to building soil health across their operation through plant diversity and strong, living roots…. Read More →
The Fifth National Climate Assessment: Implications for Agriculture
The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) highlights the current and future implications of climate change for agriculture in the US. The assessment reveals a grim outlook with substantial climate shifts predicted across the country and emphasizes the rising risks to agricultural production due to climate change, ranking this evaluation as “very likely” with “very high confidence” in its accuracy, while also presenting planned solutions to reduce emissions and transform farming systems towards greater resilience…. Read More →
Release: Farmers Shine Spotlight on Vital Impact of Climate Funding at the IRA Conservation and Farmers Roundtable
Members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) hosted a public roundtable highlighting the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) transformational investments in climate and clean energy solutions for America’s food producers. Farmers from across the country discussed firsthand how the IRA has provided much-needed, long-sought federal funding to bolster farmer-led conservation efforts. Farmers’ firsthand stories of how climate change is affecting their farms demonstrate the importance of protecting the federal programs helping them build resilience. … Read More →
Media Advisory (Cross Post): SEEC Celebrates America’s Food Producers Implementing Climate-Smart Conservation
NSAC is pleased to announce the upcoming roundtable highlighting the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) transformational investments in climate and clean energy solutions for America’s food producers, hosted by members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC). This briefing builds on NSAC’s work sharing farmer climate stories through its recent farmer climate media project and offers a chance to deliver those stories directly to lawmakers…. Read More →
Sowing Seeds of Impact: NSAC’s Year in Review and Vision for 2024
It has been a long, unusual year for federal policy, and the implications for sustainable agriculture and food systems policy have been unmistakable. In our latest blog post, NSAC highlights all that we achieved in 2023 towards building a more sustainable, equitable transformations in the food and farming system…. Read More →
Farmer Conservation Stories: Why Inflation Reduction Act Funding Must Remain Focused on Climate Change
This is the second post in a two-part blog series highlighting stories of farmers who have used practices from the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry practice list to build climate resilience and mitigation solutions. This week’s post shares stories of how farmers are preparing for and responding to climate change. … Read More →
Inflation Reduction Act Conservation Dollars Are a Vital Bulwark Against Climate Change
The Inflation Reduction Act allocated nearly $20 billion in new agricultural conservation funding across key programs to address climate change challenges faced by farmers. This historic investment, distributed through programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, supports practices that enhance both greenhouse gas mitigation and on-farm resilience. Despite positive impacts reported by farmers who received funding, challenges persist, including the need for increased financial support, overcoming barriers in accessing funds, and ensuring the broad implementation of conservation practices to build a more climate-resilient agricultural landscape…. Read More →
Release: USDA Updates Good Farming Practice Definition, Strengthening Support for Conservation Practice Adoption
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced important updates to the definition of Good Farming Practices (GFPs), removing a longstanding obstacle to the adoption of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)-approved conservation practices and enhancements for insured producers. … Read More →
Release: The EFFECTIVE Food Procurement Act Seeks to Increase Equity in USDA’s Food Purchases
The EFFECTIVE Food Procurement Act outlines a new, values-based approach for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase commodities that supply child, senior, and community nutrition programs across the nation. The Act also directs USDA to target technical assistance and food safety investments for small and socially disadvantaged producers and businesses to ensure they have fair access to USDA contracts. … Read More →
Release: NSAC Welcomes Farm Bill Extension, Urges Lawmakers to Pass the Next Farm Bill in Early 2024
NSAC celebrates the passage of an extension to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the Farm Bill, which had expired on September 30) until September 2024. The Senate’s passage yesterday of the House continuing resolution means the government will avoid a shutdown and lawmakers will have time to develop a comprehensive five-year farm bill. President Biden is expected to sign the extension, which is included in the continuing resolution to fund the government, this week…. Read More →
USDA Unveils Streamlined Local Food Funding
USDA recently announced the 2023 Regional Food System Partnership, Farmers Market Promotion and Local Food Promotion program awards. This year, AMS offered a new ‘turnkey’ application process for applicants seeking funding for a specific set of marketing and promotion activities for Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion grants. This post highlights this new process and features NSAC members who were awarded a grant this year…. Read More →
Release: NSAC Celebrates Final Rule Promoting Transparency for Contract Poultry Growers
NSAC celebrated Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for publishing the first of several expected final rules to modernize the century-old Packers and Stockyards Act: “Transparency in Poultry Growing Contracts and Tournaments.” The rulemaking process was set in motion as part of the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy in 2021. … Read More →
Strengthening Local Processing Act – Critical Reasons for Support in the Farm Bill
The Strengthening Local Processing Act (SLPA) is the most comprehensive meat processing bill around, with specific provisions that address competition, demand for local products, and access to value added services in the meat processing sector. Led by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jim Baird (R-IN), this comprehensive solution to some of the greatest barriers facing independent and small-scale producers and processors has garnered strong bipartisan support, in both the House and Senate. … Read More →
Release: Senate Advances Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Today, the Senate passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 “minibus” appropriations package, which includes discretionary funding for agriculture and food access programs such as Conservation Technical Assistance and the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program, among others. “Minibus” refers to a small package of different appropriations bills, which in this case consists of Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration. … Read More →
From Commodification to Conservation: Restoring Agrobiodiversity Through Seed Breeding – Part II:
This post is the second in a two-part series about seed breeding. It explores the impacts of consolidation and concentration of seed breeding on farmers and our food systems and offers policy recommendations for democratic seed breeding system…. Read More →
What the Expiration, and Likely Extension, of the 2018 Farm Bill Means for Food and Agriculture
On October 1, 2023, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 – more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill – expired. Thankfully, in recent days Congress has begun to turn its attention toward a much-needed extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. Yet until an extension is passed, many essential programs will continue to be impacted. This blog post takes a deep dive into the current and potential future impacts of the expired bill, examining which programs are stranded, and what it means for food and agriculture…. Read More →
More Than $27 Million in Grants Awarded to Support Historically Underserved Farmers
USDA announced over $27 million in grants to 41 organizations across the country for outreach and technical assistance to underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers. The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program, more commonly known as the “2501 Program,” and administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), helps to ensure that historically underserved producers have equitable access to the information, programs, and opportunities that will help them to find success in agriculture…. Read More →
Release: NSAC Praises Introduction of the Supporting Urban & Innovative Farming Act of 2023 in the House
Representatives Alma Adams, Shontel Brown, Barbara Lee, Jonathan Jackson, Nikema Williams, Eleanor Norton, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Donald Payne Jr, Elissa Slotkin, Jamie Raskin, Josh Gottheimer, James McGovern, and Sheila Jackson Lee introduced the Supporting Urban & Innovative Farming Act. These Congressional champions join their Senate colleagues in their efforts to secure support for the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, while improving content and service delivery for urban, suburban, and innovative producers throughout USDA’s service center network…. Read More →