FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net New Fair Competition Rules for Livestock and Poultry Industry Advanced USDA takes small step forward in decades long rules debate Washington, DC, January 10, 2020 – For years, American livestock and poultry producers have spoken out about the unfair and abusive practices of contract […]
Competition & Anti-trust
RELEASE: 84,000 SIGNATURES STRONG, GROUPS DEMAND USDA PROTECT FARMERS OVER MEAT MONOPOLIES
Farm and rural advocacy organizations delivered more than 84,000 petition signatures to USDA offices as part of a campaign urging the agency to take action to protect farmers from corporate abuse and exploitation in the livestock sector…. Read More →
COMMENT: Farm Consolidation is Not Inevitable
Independent family farms are the mainstay of American agriculture, the stewards of our land and natural resources, and central members of our rural communities. The recent comments made by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, which harken back to the “get big or get out” mantra that catalyzed the 1980s Farm Crisis, were disrespectful and irresponsible to say the least. … Read More →
Farmers are Shouting; USDA Should Listen
Consolidation of the livestock sector has severely damaged competitive markets, livestock producer livelihoods, and rural qualities of life. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and our allies have long fought against this trend, and secured many significant victories for family farmers; ensuring, for example, that the 2008 Farm Bill require the Packers and Stockyards Act […]
Taking Matters into Their Own Hands: Farmers Urge USDA to Ensure Rights in Upcoming Rulemaking
Poultry, hog, and cattle growers from across the country stepped off their farms and stood up this week to consolidation, grower exploitation, and market manipulation by large meatpackers and processors (also called integrators). Meeting in Washington D.C. earlier this week, growers traveled from North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, West Virginia, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota […]
USDA to Tackle Corporate Concentration in Livestock Sector
Rising consolidation among meatpacking and processing companies over the past few decades has steadily eroded fair competition within the poultry and livestock industries. Despite years of clamoring from producers and advocacy organizations like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) for legislation and regulations needed to address this problem, progress has so far been painfully slow […]
RELEASE: Elected Officials Called Upon to Increase Fairness for Family Farmers
Editor’s Note: This press release was originally issued by Food & Water Watch, and was sent as a joint release between: Food & Water Watch, National Farmers Union, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and RAFI-USA. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754; rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Presidential Candidates Called Upon to Increase Fairness for Family Farmers Washington, […]
Major Differences Remain over Farm Bill Commodity Title
As we approach the September 30 expiration date for the current farm bill, the negotiations over a new bill appear to be stalled on many fronts, including big looming issues pertaining to commodity, conservation, and nutrition programs. On the commodity program front, big differences remain, including, for instance, whether or not to penalize farmers who […]
New Report Exposes Over $1 Billion in Bad Loanmaking at SBA
Last week, the exploitative business practices of multinational poultry processing companies – and the role of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in facilitating that exploitation – were put on display by a shocking report from the SBA’s own Office of Inspector General (OIG). The report reveals that SBA has in recent years made an increasing […]
RELEASE: Explanation Demanded on SBA’s Exploitative Loan Practices in Chicken Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Explanation Demanded on SBA’s Exploitative Loan Practices in Chicken Industry National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds Senator Booker for introducing transparency amendment Washington, DC, March 15, 2018 – Yesterday, during consideration of S. 2283 by the Senate Small Business Committee, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) offered […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: A Comprehensive Approach to Food and Farm Policy
Editor’s Note: On October 24, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its 2018 Farm Bill policy platform, An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill. NSAC has been a leader in agricultural policy for over 30 years, and has been instrumental in helping to develop some of our nation’s most successful agricultural programs for conserving […]
COMMENT: Administration Chooses Corporate Profit Over Family Farmers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Administration Chooses Corporate Profit Over Family Farmers This is truly a sad day for American farmers. Without the Farmer Fair Practices Interim Final Rule on competitive injury, it will be virtually impossible for family farmers to defend themselves against unfair, deceptive, and discriminatory practices by packers and poultry dealers. […]
Trump Administration Undertaking Historic Reorganizing of USDA, But to What End?
Back in May, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a USDA reorganization plan that eliminated its Rural Development Mission Area and downgraded the status of what was the Under Secretary for Rural Development to an Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, closing the Office of the Under Secretary in the process. […]
House Appropriations Bill Largely Rejects President’s Proposed Cuts to Agriculture Programs
“Dead on arrival” is what many in Congress called the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget request – which included a discretionary funding cut of 21 percent ($47 billion over 10 years) to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) – when it was released earlier this year. This week’s FY 2018 funding bill from the House […]
Support the Farmer Fair Practices Rules, Comments Due Monday!
The deadline to submit your individual or organization’s comments in support of the Farmer Fair Practices Interim Final Rule (aka the “competitive injury rule”) is Monday, June 12. The Farmer Fair Practices Rules are a critical set of changes that would bring more fairness and equity to the contract agriculture system by allowing the US […]
Wins for Sustainable Agriculture in FY 2017 Spending Package
After three continuing resolutions (CR), which cumulatively delayed the fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations package by over seven months, Congress has finally reached an agreement on funding levels for the remainder of FY 2017. Despite a particularly contentious political environment, one area on which Congress was largely able to agree in the omnibus spending bill […]
A Late Start Doesn’t Have to Mean a Slow Start: 10 Things Secretary Perdue Can Do Now to Support Family Farmers
On his first day on the job, Sonny Perdue – a former two-term governor and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited new Secretary – addressed two very important audiences. The first, a formal introduction to USDA staff, was an opportunity for the Secretary to lay out his general vision for the department’s next four […]
A Big Week Ahead for Agriculture: Decisions Will Shape the Landscape for 2018 Farm Bill
The annual process for funding federal programs — known in Washington D.C. as the appropriations cycle — should be a fairly cut and dry process of allocating money (or not) to previously authorized programs; however, in recent years the appropriations process has often been used as a backdoor method to legislate. Rumors have abounded over […]
If Trump Stands with Rural America, He Will Expedite the Farmer Fair Practices Rules
Editors Note: On April 13, 2017 USDA delayed the effective date for the interim final rule on “competitive injury” until October of 2017. A separate Federal Register Notice requests comments by June 12, 2017 on the disposition of the interim final rule including whether it should be delayed further, withdrawn, suspended, or allowed to go […]
How Sustainable Agriculture Advocates Can Take Action in 2017
With a new president and the 115th Congress recently sworn in, farmers and sustainable agriculture advocates around the country have been asking: What does this new Administration and Congress mean for agriculture and food policy? How can we most effectively advocate and continue to make change on the issues that we care about? Here at […]
PRESS RELEASE: Executive Order Delays All Pending Final Rules
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Greg Fogel, 202-547-5754, GFogel@sustainableagriculture.net Executive Order Delays All Pending Final Rules Farmer Fair Practices Rules, designed to protect rights of contract farmers, included among those delayed Washington, DC, January 23, 2017 – On Friday, January 21, the Trump Administration directed agencies to delay by 60 days […]
NSAC’s Sweet 16: Top Wins for Sustainable Agriculture in 2016
If some years are rollercoasters, 2016 was more like the tilt-a-whirl – a lot of effort spent to turn just slightly in one direction or another, much spinning in circles, and a headache at the end for your trouble. Despite all the stop and starts, however, the sustainable agriculture community came out of the last […]
USDA Publishes Farmer Fair Practices Rules to Help American Farmers and Ranchers
USDA has taken the historic step of issuing three rules that will begin to bring some fairness and order to the poultry and livestock industries, with a particular focus on farmers growing under contracts with the big meat and poultry processing corporations. These three rules, when finalized, will prevent unfair and anti-competitive practices by meat […]
RELEASE: Farmer Fair Practices Rules Will Bring Fairness to Contract Poultry and Livestock Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, RKovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Paul Wolfe, 202-547-5754, PWolfe@sustainableagriculture.net Farmer Fair Practices Rules Will Bring Fairness to Contract Poultry and Livestock Industry National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition praises USDA for moving forward on rules to protect contract farmers Washington, DC, December 14, 2016 – Nearly 100 years after the passage of the […]