June 17, 2022
NSAC applauds the House for taking decisive action to support the creation of a USDA special investigator to enforce fair-play rules in the highly concentrated meatpacking industry when they passed the Lower Food and Fuel Cost Act – H.R. 7606 on Thursday.
June 8, 2022
Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauded Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for the publication of a long-awaited proposed rule regarding “Transparency in Poultry Growing Contracts and Tournaments.” This is the first of several expected rules to strengthen the century-old Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) announced in President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.
April 21, 2022
The Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network, in cooperation with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), released a report to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in December of 2020. The report found that Small and Very Small (SVS) meat processors are underrepresented in the regulatory and policy making process and experience a disproportionately higher number of regulatory sanctions than large processors. In response, the report outlined several recommendations aimed at improving the food safety and inspection system for SVS processors.
April 18, 2022
Graziers, or producers who utilize systematic grazing management in raising livestock, are making the case for the widespread adoption of pasture based practices that demonstrate synchronous benefits for both local food systems and ecosystems. The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) enters the landscape provides local and regional resources for farmers and ranchers – both established and beginning – who are interested in understanding and utilizing grazing management practices.
March 31, 2022
In February 2022, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) announced that their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Validation webpage was updated to include validation studies that can be used to support HACCP plans for fermented products, salt-cured products, and dried products. This was based on recommendations from a 2020 report addressing guidance, tools, outreach, and responsiveness to the needs of smaller-scale meat processors.
March 7, 2022
“Anytime you want to talk about enthusiasm on soils, talk to Rosie,” affirmed Representative Jim Costa (D-CA), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. At the February 3rd hearing “Sustainability in the Livestock Sector: Environmental Gain and Economic Viability” regenerative agriculture took center stage through the eyes and voice of Rosie Burroughs, matriarch of Burroughs Family Farms in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
December 23, 2021
As this unpredictable year comes to a close and we look to the future, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition takes a look back at our coalition’s hard-fought wins towards building a more sustainable, equitable food and farm system in 2021.
October 6, 2021
With the cooler fall weather, farmers all across the country are finally beginning to slow down and prepare for the end of this year’s farming season. With the second harvest amidst a global pandemic shortly coming to a close, many farmers will be taking stock over the next few months of how their operations and […]
October 6, 2021
In this blog post, we analyze how EQIP financial assistance was utilized in FY 2019 and FY 2020 through the EQIP general pool.
August 27, 2021
Livestock consolidation and concentration have been gaining traction in Washington, D.C. Last month, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, signaling a whole of government effort to address concentration and consolidation in US markets. Several initiatives announced could have a far-reaching impact on agriculture, including the intent to strengthen […]