National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

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

NSAC News

Press Releases

Release: USDA Announces Second Round of Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities Awards

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the second-round awardees of the Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities, a USDA effort to combat the climate crisis by partnering with agriculture, forestry, and rural communities to provide climate solutions that strengthen rural America. NSAC is pleased to see that the Administration’s latest round of awards will benefit more than 30 minority-serving institutions and more than 20 Tribal partners…. Read More →

Release: NSAC Applauds First Round of Investments to Expand Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity

NSAC applauds USDA’s announcement of the first round of new, historic investments to increase competition and expand meat and poultry processing capacity. The Biden-Harris Administration is investing $73 million in 21 grant projects through this initial round of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) – a program which aims to increase options for livestock producers, promote competition across the economy, and lower costs for American families. … Read More →

Release: USDA Announces $800 Million in Assistance to Distressed Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA farm loans have already received nearly $800 million in assistance, as part of the $3.1 billion in assistance for distressed farm loan borrowers provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). … Read More →

Release: Updated NSAC Report Illustrates Minimal Impact of Crop Insurance Subsidy Caps on Farms

NSAC published an updated version of a special report projecting billions in taxpayer savings over 10 years if modest payment caps are instituted on subsidized discounts for farmers who purchase crop insurance. The updated report includes an addendum that features several projections demonstrating the real impact of payment caps outlined in the original report: An Economic Analysis of Payment Caps on Crop Insurance Subsidies, first published in July 2022…. Read More →

Release: New USDA Proposed Rule to Give Livestock and Poultry Growers Fair Shake

Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauded Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for the publication of a new proposed rule to modernize the century-old Packers and Stockyards Act: “Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act.” This is the second of three expected rules first announced in President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy and arrives on the heels of a proposed rule to bring transparency to the poultry tournament system published in June.
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Release: Farmers and Advocates Come to Washington to Call for Climate and Sustainability Action in the 2023 Farm Bill

This week, advocates and farmers from across the country came to Washington, DC to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities. A cohort of farmers, ranchers, and food systems advocates from 12 states joined NSAC for approximately 30 meetings with Congressional leaders and USDA officials to encourage them to prioritize sustainable food and farm needs in the upcoming farm bill and in ongoing program implementation efforts. … Read More →

Release: Cynthia Hayes Scholarship Awarded to Rising Stars in Sustainable Agriculture

the Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON), the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), and Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) announced that three students have been awarded the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship. The three student awardees: Rhema Meggett, Justin Walker, and Sydney Lawson were each presented with $5,000 to support their continued work in sustainable agriculture and bolster their commitments to promoting racial equity in food and farm systems…. Read More →

Release: NSAC Congratulates Senate on Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Passage, Urges Swift House Action 

For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) press@sustainableagriculture.net / Tel: 347.563.6408 Release: NSAC Congratulates Senate on Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Passage, Urges Swift House Action  Funding Prioritizes Climate Solutions for Agriculture and Includes Key Coalition Priorities Washington, DC, August 7, 2022 – Today the full Senate passed the Inflation Reduction […]

Release: Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Advances FY 2023 Agriculture Spending Bill

Today, the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee publicly released the text of their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Appropriations bill which provides significant increases in several critical priority areas that will strengthen the resilience of rural communities and bolster sustainable food systems…. Read More →

Release: NSAC Urges Congress to Pass Historic Climate Package

Yesterday, after months of on-and-off negotiations, Senate leaders announced a proposed deal on legislation aimed at advancing key pieces of President Biden’s agenda, including measures to combat climate change. If passed, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would, among other things, provide approximately $369.75 billion for energy security and climate change programs over the next ten years…. Read More →

Release: National Farmer Climate Story Week Showcases Climate Solutions

This week, across the country, advocates for sustainable agriculture are joining together in a week of action to highlight the impacts that farmers increasingly face from climate change and the solutions needed to mitigate and adapt their practices to build greater resiliency and to bolster the food system. The week of action also builds support for the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), a comprehensive set of policy changes that would steer agriculture in the US towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and serves as an important roadmap for how the next farm bill can effectively address climate change. … Read More →