For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Commends White House Request for Disaster Assistance for ALL Farmers Congress must follow and authorize revenue-based disaster assistance to support farmers and ranchers reeling from Hurricanes Helene and Milton Washington, DC, November 20, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released […]
Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs
Release: To Meet Farmers’ Diverse Recovery Needs, Disaster Relief Must Include Revenue-Based Assistance
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: To Meet Farmers’ Diverse Recovery Needs, Disaster Relief Must Include Revenue-Based Assistance From drought and wildfire to hurricanes, an array of natural disasters throughout 2024 highlight the need for disaster assistance to reach all farmers Washington, DC, October 8, 2024 – As the […]
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 […]
Release: New Lending Rule Signals More Savings for Farmers
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Release: New Lending Rule Signals More Savings for Farmers Washington, DC, August 7, 2024 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux for the announcement of a new final rule: Enhancing Access and Delivery for […]
Path to a New Farm Bill: Crop Insurance Access
Editor’s Note: This post is part of 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 challenge, and […]
Release: NSAC Applauds Introduction of the Save Our Small Farms Act
Connecticut Representatives Hayes, Larson, Courtney, DeLauro, and Himes teamed up with Reps. Adams, Neal, McGovern, and Jackson to introduce the Save Our Small Farms Act which would meaningfully expand access to the farm safety net for small, diversified, and underserved farmers and ranchers who find themselves at the mercy of worsening storms but unable to access coverage…. Read More →
Release: NSAC Welcomes Bicameral Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act
Representatives Marilyn Strickland, Alma Adams, and Jimmy Panetta, alongside Senator Peter Welch, introduced the Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act in the House and the Senate, which directs FSA to develop a multi-year operating loan pilot for beginning farmers to finance initial assets and the development of production and management systems…. Read More →
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 →
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 →
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: 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 →
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 →
Release: AFFIRM Act Would Level the Playing Field, Save Taxpayers Billions
The Assisting Family Farmers Through Insurance Reform Measures Act, or the AFFIRM Act, was introduced by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3). This bill presents important reforms to improve the federal crop insurance program to better serve U.S. farmers equitably and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently…. 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 →
Release: NSAC Celebrates Introduction of Whole Farm Revenue Protection Improvement Act
Today, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) Program Improvement Act alongside Senators Booker (D-NJ), Fetterman (D-PA), Smith (D-MN), and Welch (D-VT). If incorporated into the 2023 Farm Bill, this bill will expand insurance access to producers historically left out of the federal crop insurance program. Strong bipartisan interest exists to expand voluntary access to crop insurance to include underserved producers. This Act is the moving vehicle to do that…. 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 →
Release: Taxpayer, Farm, and Environmental Advocates Urge Congress to Reject Farm Subsidy Increases
A diverse group of taxpayer, agriculture, and environmental organizations held a press conference at the National Press Club to urge Congressional leaders to reject attempts to increase reference prices for covered commodity crops as Congress debates the farm bill. The organizations participating in the press conference included the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), Environmental Working Group (EWG), Rural Coalition, FreedomWorks, National Taxpayers Union, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Taxpayers for Common Sense, R-Street, and Farm Action. … 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 →
Release: Farm Safety Net House Subcommittee Hearing Yields Red Flags
The House Agriculture Committee’s General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Subcommittee held a hearing entitled: “Producer Perspectives on the 2023 Farm Bill.” The two-part hearing featured 10 witnesses representing major commodity producers, who shared perspectives on federal crop insurance, commodity price support programs, disaster assistance, and access to lending. … Read More →
The Agriculture Resilience Act in 2023
The Agriculture Resilience Act represents a comprehensive approach to addressing climate change in agriculture. First of its kind, the act addresses climate change throughout much of US Department of Agriculture (USDA) programming–not only that which affects farmers, but elements that shape the larger food system, as well. There is broad public support for government incentive-based solutions to climate challenges in agriculture. With its focus on incentives for best practices throughout agricultural programs, the ARA represents exactly what the public, researchers, and advocates have been calling for to move agriculture toward climate resilient systems…. 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 →