Editor’s Note: As the COVID-19 situation progresses, we will continue to update this blog with the latest available information on deadline extensions. Additionally, you can find information on administrative flexibilities issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) here. This is a key reference for anyone currently working under an active federal grant. The memo […]
Food Safety
Food Safety Outreach Program to Provide Additional Trainings in 2020
This is the first year small farms will be inspected if they fall under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Fortunately, there are a number of exceptional FSMA training programs that were recently funded by the Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) that will assist farmers trying to navigate the complex rules. The […]
RELEASE: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Sets 2020 Policy Priorities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Sets 2020 Policy Priorities Washington, DC, February 4, 2020 – Last week, representatives from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) 130+ member organizations voted on a final set of policy and funding priorities to guide the Coalition’s work through 2020. “This collaborative priority […]
A Decade After FSMA, Additional Rules Still Rolling Out
Nearly ten years after the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still issuing new rules. With the temporary lull in FSMA-related policy activity coming to an end, there will be renewed need for public action on FSMA rulemakings once they are issued later this year. In […]
RELEASE: Additional Clarity on Animal Raising Label Claims in Time for the New Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Additional Clarity on Animal Raising Label Claims in Time for the New Year New guidelines will better uphold the integrity of organic, grass-fed, and pastured products Washington, DC, January 2, 2020 – Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) […]
Congress Clears FY 2020 Appropriations Packages
This week, after months of delay, Congress passed a much-anticipated deal to fund the government through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2020. FY 2020 runs through September 30, 2020. The $1.4 trillion package of discretionary spending bills, which was divided up into two “minibuses”, was finally delivered this week after months of rigorous advocacy […]
COMMENT: FY 2020 “Minibus” Bolsters Farm Bill Wins for Sustainable Agriculture
The final appropriations package builds upon the sustainable agriculture community’s hard-fought farm bill wins and delivers much-needed support to family farmers across the country at a time when good news is increasingly hard to come by. … Read More →
Regional Meetings Give Voice to Small Scale Meat and Poultry
The rising demand for local, niche meat and poultry over the past decade has led to ever-increasing reliance on the country’s few small-scale independent processing plants that operate outside of the broader commodity meat sector. When one of these small plants is shutdown or suspended, therefore, the impact can be resounding, having many of the […]
Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum Going
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum GoingNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition fly-in participants hope to secure FY 2020 appropriations wins in final spending package Washington, D.C., June 27, 2019 – With big wins already secured for sustainable agriculture in […]
Over $7.5 Million Available for Food Safety Training and Outreach Grants
As implementation begins for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules, farmers and food businesses are increasingly looking to Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP)-funded programs for resources and training to help them come into compliance. FSOP is a federal grants program that funds community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, cooperative extension, […]
RELEASE: Agricultural Census Shows Continued Shrinking of Ag of the Middle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Agricultural Census Shows Continued Shrinking of Ag in the MiddleNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition expresses concern about increasing consolidation in agriculture, urges increased investment in Census “bright spots” like growing organic and local food sectors Washington, DC, April 11, 2019 – A new census […]
FDA’s Draft Guidance: How to Comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule
The Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule is complex. There are still questions about how it will be enforced for the first time and the required actions and tools farms need to comply. Some of these questions might be answered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Draft Guidance on the Produce Safety […]
COMMENT: “Flawed Science” Delays Roll Out of Food and Drug Administration’s “Water Rule”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net “Flawed Science” Delays Roll Out of Food and Drug Administration’s “Water Rule” National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition praises the decision to revisit and rethink rule Washington, DC, March 15, 2019 – Produce farms regulated under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Standards for the […]
The FSMA Produce Safety Rule: An Inspection Preview
Food safety inspections on produce farms are beginning this month, but there are still questions as to what the first round of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule inspections will look like. The fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be regulating farms for the first time is concerning for many […]
2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Local/Regional Food Systems, Rural Development
Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, organic agriculture, conservation, research and seed breeding, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies. The […]
Stories from the Field: From Food Safety Training to Audit Day
An audit or inspection can be a nerve-racking experience for any business owner. Farmers in North and South Carolina, however, have greatly benefited from having a trusted ally – the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) – to help them through the process. Through their Local Produce Food Safety Initiative, CFSA, an NSAC Member, provides farmers […]
RELEASE: New Food Safety Support Available to Farmers Across Sixteen States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net New Food Safety Support Available to Farmers Across Sixteen States Pending the Outcome of the 2018 Farm Bill, Support Could be Extended Nationwide Washington, DC, December 4, 2018 – Starting next year, produce growers in 16 states will gain access to no-cost voluntary Harmonized Good […]
Insights into the Unified Regulatory Agendas of FDA, USDA, and EPA
The Trump Administration recently released a snapshot of upcoming regulatory changes: the “Fall 2018 Unified Agendas of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.” Among these, the Unified Agendas of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) include major regulatory undertakings that will significantly impact the sustainable agriculture […]
FSOP Grantees Provide Essential Trainings on Food Safety Compliance
Deadlines and inspection dates are coming up soon for many producers and business owners who need to comply with new requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Even for farmers who are exempt from FSMA requirements, private buyers often require some form of third-party food safety certification. The Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) helps […]
Is My Operation a “Qualified Facility” Under FDA’s Preventive Controls Rules?
Are you a small food business owner interested in a partial exemption from some of the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules? Under the Preventive Controls Rules for Human and Animal Food, a “qualified facility” is exempt from the Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) and the Supply Chain Program requirements. Recently, the […]
Food Facility Registration Q&A Adds Clarity to Food Safety Requirements
The first step for most farms trying to navigate the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is to determine whether or not a specific rule applies to their farm operation. When it comes to the Preventive Controls for Human Food (“Preventive Controls”) rule, farmers now have some additional clarity on whether or not they are exempt. […]
Farm Bill Negotiators Hold First Public Meeting
Growing a more just and sustainable food and farm system through the farm bill, a massive package of legislation that is passed roughly every five years, is among the main priorities of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). Congressional negotiators just held their first official public meeting to discuss the nation’s next farm bill, which […]
Smaller Farms Likely to Face Higher Food Safety Compliance Costs
American producers operating smaller farms will have a higher price to pay when it comes to complying with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (“Produce Rule”), according to a recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) report. Compliance costs for the smallest farms are estimated to be as […]
Updated Resources: Food Safety Modernization Act Flow Chart
With inspections on the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule slated to begin in 2019 and compliance dates for qualified food facilities coming up this September, time is of the essence for farmers and food enterprises to make sure they know whether and to what extent they are affected by the latest FSMA […]