It’s been over 60 days since the Administration shocked the research community with a proposal to relocate the headquarters of two major federal research agencies. Under the Administration’s plan, both the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Economic Research Service (ERS) would lose their historic homes in the nation’s capital and be […]
Research, Education & Extension
Guest Post: Agriculture Spotlights at the Global Climate Action Summit
Editor’s Note: The post below is from NSAC member organization California Climate & Agriculture Network (CalCAN) on the recent Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, California. CalCAN is a statewide coalition that advances state and federal policy to realize the power of climate solutions offered by sustainable and organic agriculture. As highlighted in the […]
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 […]
What’s at Stake: Tiny But Mighty Farm Bill Programs
Editor’s Note: The 2014 Farm Bill expires on September 30th. If the next farm bill is not finalized before that date, numerous “tiny but mighty” farm bill programs that support family farmers and food-producing communities will effectively shut down in terms of new funding and grant opportunities for fiscal year 2019. These workhorse programs, which […]
Sunny in Seattle: Recapping NSAC’s 2018 Summer Member Meeting
Editor’s Note: This piece was written by NSAC Grassroots Fellow Stephanie Henry with Associate Director for Communications Reana Kovalcik. Stephanie Henry is NSAC’s Summer 2018 Grassroots Intern. After her internship, Stephanie will be returning to Fort Wayne, Indiana where she is extensively engaged in the growth and development of the regional and statewide local food systems. […]
Trump Administration Proposes to Uproot Ag Research
August in the capital is typically quiet; when legislators head home for the August recess, those of us who work in the world of federal agricultural policy are given a brief respite from an otherwise breakneck cycle of news and deadlines. This year, however, is not following traditional cycles. Faced with an ever-growing to-do list, […]
Message to Policy Makers: Massive Increase in Agricultural Research Funding Required
The United States’ total federal investment in agricultural research has been flat for a long time, a fact that does not bode well for the future of our farm and food system. Not only does the research undertaken today have a profound impact on the what food and agriculture will be like a generation from […]
Upcoming Deadlines For Family Farm and Rural Community Research Grants
Five research, education and extension grant programs relevant to small and mid-scale family farms and rural economic development have upcoming deadlines for proposals. All there are funded through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the largest of the competitive grant programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). […]
NSAC’s Guide to the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Process
As we barrel toward the expiration of the 2014 Farm Bill on September 30, both the House and Senate have now passed their respective versions of what they hope will become the next farm bill. The House passed its version on June 21 by a narrow and strictly partisan margin of 213-211. The Senate passed […]
COMMENT: Senate Farm Bill Paves the Way for Farmer-Forward Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Senate Farm Bill Paves the Way for Farmer-Forward Farm Bill National Sustainable Agriculture praises bill, but laments lack of action on crop insurance reform Washington, DC, June 28, 2018 – Upon passage today of the Senate farm bill, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition […]
Farmers Take Sustainable Agriculture Priorities to Congress
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) hosted our second farmer fly-in of 2018, bringing in farmer advocates from across the country to make their priorities known on Capitol Hill. Ten growers and advocates from Alabama, California, Mississippi, Montana, Georgia, Kansas, North Dakota, Oregon, Michigan, and Vermont took time out of their busy schedules […]
$4.4 Million for 2018 Nutrition and Food Access Research Award Winners
Research is transforming food systems in urban communities, one award at a time. On May 21, 2018, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) celebrated its members and partners who received funding through the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, which was established by the 2014 Farm Bill and administered in partnership with the U.S. Department […]
Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Senate Agriculture Committee Advances Farm Bill
Every five years or so, Congress reauthorizes the federal farm bill, a large and complex package of legislation that affects all facets of food and agriculture policy in the U.S. The current farm bill, which Congress passed in 2014, expires on September 30, 2018. The 2018 Farm Bill must be passed before September 30 in […]
Draft Senate Farm Bill: Agricultural Research and Plant Breeding
This is the second post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on June 7, 2018 by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: organic agriculture, local/regional food systems and rural development, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies. The bill will be considered and “marked-up” (aka amended) by the […]
COMMENT: Senate Committee Leadership Produces Bipartisan Draft Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Senate Committee Leadership Produces Bipartisan Draft Farm Bill National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds provisions for sustainable agriculture, family farmers Washington, DC, June 8, 2018 – Following the Senate Agriculture Committee’s release of its draft farm bill, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the […]
$180 Million Available for AFRI Research Grant Projects
Farmers face a variety of challenges on their operations every day (e.g., figuring out how to suppress weeds, minimize pest pressures organically, and determining which plant varieties grow best in their climate). Many of these challenges are becoming increasingly difficult to resolve and detrimental to farmers’ bottom lines, particularly those caused by climate change. In […]
New Funding Opportunity Aims to Increase Sustainability Research
A new funding opportunity offered by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks to help researchers address critical challenges related to the long-term sustainability of agriculture. Late last month, NIFA released a new Request for Applications (RFA) for “Sustainable Agricultural Systems” projects under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). According to […]
Senate Appropriators Advance FY 2019 Agriculture Funding Bill
Each year, Congress passes far-reaching funding legislation, known as appropriations legislation, to fund federal programs across the government. This includes many of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Thursday May 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) […]
The Farm Bill and U.S. Territories: Sustainable Agriculture Programs in Action
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part blog series on how the farm bill impacts farmers and rural communities in the U.S. Territories. This series was written and researched by NSAC policy intern Dariana Mattei-Ramos, a native of Puerto Rico and an advocate for food and agriculture justice. Dariana holds a master’s degree […]
House Agriculture FY 2019 Appropriations Bill Advances
This week has been a perfect embodiment of the popular expression, “when it rains, it pours.” Not only has the House – and the sustainable agriculture advocacy community – been busy trying to finalize and pass their version of the 2018 Farm Bill (the bill failed 198-213), they’ve had their hands full with fiscal year […]
COMMENT: House Farm Bill Defeated
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net House Farm Bill Defeated National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition committed to continuing fight for a better bill Washington, DC, May 18, 2018 – Today, the House failed to secure a sufficient number of votes to pass its version of the 2018 Farm Bill – the Agriculture and […]
House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Advances FY 2019 Funding Bill
Each year, Congress passes far-reaching funding legislation, known as appropriations legislation, to fund federal programs across the government. This includes many of the programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Wednesday, May 9, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed its agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year […]
COMMENT: Progress Toward Building More Sustainable Food System Threatened by Cut
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Progress Toward Building a More Sustainable Food System Threatened by Cuts Attacks on key programs would undermine Congress’ recent progress Washington, DC, May 9, 2018 – The budget and appropriations news released this week, which includes the House’s passage of their FY 2019 […]
Top Ten Reasons to Reject the House Farm Bill
1. Helps the big get bigger and rich get richer Over the last three decades, American agriculture has become increasingly consolidated. As of 2015, a majority of our food (51 percent) came from farms with over $1 million in annual sales – up 20 percent since 1991. Federal policy has historically contributed to this consolidation […]