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Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

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Competition & Anti-trust

Farmers Push for Action on Agriculture Funding Bill

June 30, 2016

If you want to gain some real insight into agricultural policies, your first stop should be one of America’s 2.1 million farms – a majority of which are small and medium-sized family farms. Though we can’t always get Congress to the farm, we can bring the farm to Congress. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) regularly […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety, Research, Education & Extension

RELEASE: Poultry Farmer Stands Up for Contract Growers, Delivers Petition on Capitol Hill

June 16, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paul Wolfe, 202-547-5754, PWolfe@sustainableagriculture.net Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 FHoefner@sustainableagriculture.net   Poultry Farmer Stands Up for Contract Growers, Delivers Petition on Capitol Hill Contract Poultry Farmer Joins Ag and Government Accountability Groups to Deliver 60,000+ Signature Petition to Congress in Support of Rights for Contract Farmers Washington, DC, June 16, 2016 – Nestled […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Press Releases

A Breakdown of the Senate’s Annual Food and Farm Spending Bill

May 20, 2016

Each year, Congress debates and makes key decisions about federal funding priorities for all government agencies, programs, and initiatives – including programs and resources that support our nation’s farmers and ranchers. This week marks an important step in that process (known as appropriations), as the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill to fund the U.S. […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development

GAO Report Calls for Timeline to Update USDA Biotechnology Regulations

April 25, 2016

As a growing list of genetically engineered plant and animal crops enter the marketplace with minimal, if any, regulation from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging USDA to set a clear timeline for updating its biotechnology regulations. In a report released on April 14, 2016, GAO cautioned: […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Research, Education & Extension

House Committee Votes to Strip Protections for Contract Farmers

April 19, 2016

On April 19, the House Appropriations Committee convened to debate and pass the House Agriculture … Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust

RELEASE: NSAC Comment on Harris Rider (“GIPSA Rider”)

April 19, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 FHoefner@sustainableagriculture.net   NSAC Press Statement on Passage of Harris Amendment We are deeply disturbed by the passage of the Harris amendment to prohibit USDA from protecting farmers as provided by the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 against anticompetitive, deceptive, fraudulent, retaliatory and other abusive business practices by […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust, Press Releases, Sustainable Livestock

RELEASE: Proposed GIPSA Rider Aims to Silence America’s Contract Farmers

April 18, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paul Wolfe, 202-547-5754, PWolfe@sustainableagriculture.net Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 FHoefner@sustainableagriculture.net   Proposed GIPSA Rider Aims to Silence America’s Contract Farmers National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Speaks Out Against Anti-Farmer Maneuver Washington, DC, April 18, 2016 – Family farmers in the contract poultry industry thought their time had finally come. After years of struggling to eke […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust, Press Releases

Congressional Appropriators Support a Level Playing Field for Contract Farmers

March 18, 2016

Yesterday, eight Congressional Appropriators signed on to a letter to United States Agriculture Department (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, thanking him for moving forward with rules to protect contract livestock and poultry producers from unfair and retaliatory practices. The letter, signed by four Senate and four House agriculture appropriators, comes on the heels of Secretary Vilsack’s […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust

New USDA Ruling Protects Contract Poultry Growers

February 9, 2016

During the peak of the Avian Flu (also known as “bird flu) outbreak in 2015, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) wrote about the problems with USDA rules that placed the burden for certain losses on contract growers, paying indemnities only to the integrators (companies that own but don’t raise the animals). At the time, […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Food Safety, Sustainable Livestock

Massive Year-End Funding Bill A Mixed Bag But Includes Significant Wins for Sustainable Agriculture

December 16, 2015

Final appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2016 will fund programs supporting sustainable agriculture… Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety, Nutrition & Food Access, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development

Avian Flu: What About the Contract Poultry Grower?

July 30, 2015

There has been a lot of talk about the Avian Flu outbreak from the media, including many reports by outlets that don’t often don’t spend much time covering agriculture. They have covered the 34 million birds that have been euthanized and the skyrocketing cost of conventionally produced eggs. What they have not been covering is […]

Filed Under: Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Farm Bill

What’s in the Senate Funding Bill for Sustainable Agriculture?

July 16, 2015

Pop quiz: What do Frankenfish, Orca Whales, and whole grains all have in common? Answer: They were all part of the amendment process today as the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced their version of next year’s federal funding bill for food, agriculture, and rural development. Read on for our analysis of the Senate funding bill that […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Research, Education & Extension

House Committee Passes USDA-FDA Funding Bill, Rejects Reform Amendments

July 8, 2015

On Wednesday, July 8, the House Appropriations Committee passed the 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which funds most of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can visit our previous post for a full breakdown of the bill as it stood before debate by the full […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Nutrition & Food Access

Congresswomen Hold Briefing to Raise Awareness about Anti-Competitive GIPSA Rider

June 5, 2015

On Wednesday, June 3, Congresswomen Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) held a briefing for congressional staff and press to raise the awareness about the “GIPSA rider” in advance of likely House Agriculture Appropriations Committee action to advance the rider. The GIPSA rider has blocked USDA from finalizing rules of the road for the […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Sustainable Livestock

What’s all the Flapping About: What do HBO’s John Oliver, Chicken Farmers, and Congress have in Common?

May 29, 2015

There has been a lot of social media buzz lately about a piece on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver about the plight of chicken farmers (note: does contain adult language, please use discretion) who raise birds on behalf of large integrators, aka the chicken companies (Tyson, Pilgrims Pride, Perdue, and JBS) who own […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust, Farm Bill

Final Budget Bill Guts Conservation Funding and Farmer Protections

December 11, 2014

Late on December 9, Congress released their final annual appropriations bill to keep the government running for the rest of the fiscal year, and while there is some good news, overall it’s bleak news for sustainable agriculture – complete with drastic cuts to critical conservation programs and anti-farmer policy riders that favor big livestock integrators over actual […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment

Congress Extends 2014 Funding Levels through December 11

September 19, 2014

On Thursday, September 18, the Senate passed a short-term funding extension, known as a “continuing resolution” (CR), to fund the federal government through December 11.  The CR extends fiscal year (FY) 2014 funding levels as well as policy provisions known as appropriations “riders.”  The House passed this temporary funding measure earlier this week, and the […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development

Farm Aid 2014: Making Policy Connections on North Carolina Farms

September 18, 2014

Decisions that legislators make in Washington, DC have real impacts on the ground in communities and on farms around the country.  On Friday, September 12, 2014, several NSAC staff members toured several farms in and around Raleigh, North Carolina hosted by Farm Aid (an NSAC member) ahead of their 2014 Farm Aid Benefit Concert.  The […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Competition & Anti-trust, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

4 Important Policy Decisions that Will Impact Farmers, Food, and the Environment in 2015

September 5, 2014

Taking a look at Congress’ work over the next few months, here are four appropriations decisions that will have a major impact on farmers, food, and the environment…. Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development

Tyson Hillshire Merger Deserves DOJ Scrutiny

July 30, 2014

On July 16, Tyson food, Inc. (Tyson) announced a hostile takeover of Hillshire Brands Co. (Hillshire) with the hope that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would quickly approve the merger. On July 24, NSAC along with 81 other like-minded organizations wrote a letter opposing a quick review and asking for DOJ to undertake a more […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, General Interest

Farmers, the 4th, and Fair Food System Action

July 3, 2014

As our country stands ready to celebrate our independence – many of us with a well-deserved day off – let’s take a moment to tip our hats to the folks who will still be working: farmers. Our farmers, ranchers, and growers work 365 days a year, rain or shine.  They grow our fruits and vegetables, […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust

Whither the 2015 Agriculture Funding Process?

June 20, 2014

On Thursday, June 19, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) postponed consideration of the Senate’s three-part spending package for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development for fiscal year 2015.  The Senate began consideration of the FY 2015 appropriations package on Tuesday, and was scheduled to begin to voting on amendments on Thursday.  However, Majority […]

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Competition & Anti-trust, Nutrition & Food Access

GIPSA Rider is Anti-Farmer and Anti-Free Market

June 17, 2014

The full House may soon be considering its FY 2015 agriculture appropriations bill (HR4800) that contains a legislative rider that is anti-farmer and anti-free market.  In addition to the two specific issues discussed in the previous blog post that are the topic for an important floor amendment, the GIPSA rider contained in the House bill […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust

What is the “GIPSA Rider” and why is the House once again attacking farmers’ rights?

June 17, 2014

A legislative rider tacked onto the 2015 agriculture funding bill will strip USDA’s ability to protect farmers rights… Read More →

Filed Under: Action Alerts, Competition & Anti-trust

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