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USDA to Invest In Alternative Meat and Poultry Supply Chains

Sustainable Livestock

USDA to Invest In Alternative Meat and Poultry Supply Chains

June 28, 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that they will invest more than $4 billion to strengthen the food system, with one of the four funding priority areas including small processing support. Over the next year, USDA will invest some of the $4 billion for existing processing facilities expansion, as well as new regional […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Rural Development, Sustainable Livestock

RELEASE: Agriculture Resilience Act Delivers Bold Vision for Net Zero Agriculture

April 22, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Deeble National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Email: edeeble@sustainableagriculture.net  Agriculture Resilience Act Delivers Bold Vision for Net Zero Agriculture National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Applauds Trailblazing Climate and Agriculture Bill Washington, DC, April 22, 2021 – Today, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), which […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Local & Regional Food Systems, Organic, Press Releases, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development, Sustainable Livestock

Undo the Packers and Stockyards “Undue Preference” Final Rule

February 17, 2021

In the waning days of the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule on the undue or unreasonable preference provision, Section 202(b), of the Packers & Stockyards Act of 1921 (P&SA). Unfortunately, the rule fails to protect livestock and poultry farmers from the abusive and exploitative practices that have become […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Implementation & Rule-making, Sustainable Livestock

The Time is Ripe for Competition and Antitrust Reform in Agriculture

February 12, 2021

This is the first of several blogs which will explore the impacts of consolidation and concentration in the agriculture industry on farmers and the broader food system, as well as a path forward. The blog series is authored by NSAC Policy Associate Billy Hackett with meaningful contributions by farmers and experts. Read the second entry […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Coronavirus, Farm Bill, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Rural Development, Sustainable Livestock

Top 20 Wins (and Fights!) for Sustainable Agriculture in 2020

December 22, 2020

The end of the year is just around the corner – and what a year it has been! In these times of pain, uncertainty, reflection, and action, two things are certain: (1) our country and our world as we know it will never quite be the same, and (2) the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Coronavirus, Food Safety, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Implementation & Rule-making, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access, Organic, Research, Education & Extension, Sustainable Livestock

Guest Post: Expanding Local Meat Markets

October 19, 2020

Editor’s Note: This blog is a guest post by Meghan Filbert, Livestock Program Manager at Practical Farmers of Iowa, an NSAC member organization. This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2020 edition of the Practical Farmer, PFI’s quarterly magazine. The Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program Means Out-of-state Market Access While Iowa’s large meat packing plants made national news […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Coronavirus, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

Grazing for Climate

September 9, 2020

Editor’s Note: This is the seventh blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. Read blogs one, two, three, […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Sustainable Livestock

Thousands of Farmers Sign Congressional Call to Action on the Climate Crisis

September 2, 2020

Every farmer stands on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Last year, farmers and ranchers within the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) network mobilized to make certain that policymakers understood their concerns and desires to meet the climate crisis head-on. NSAC members worked with farmers and ranchers to draft a letter that lifts up farmer […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

USDA Programs Support Small Meat Processing Plants

July 16, 2020

There are a few existing federal programs that could be expanded to further support small, local, and regional meat and poultry processing plants and increase farmers’ access to slaughter and processing options…. Read More →

Filed Under: Budget and Appropriations, Carousel, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

A Climate-Friendly Approach to Managing Manure

June 23, 2020

Editor’s Note: This is the third blog in a series focusing on specific provisions included in the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in February 2020. The ARA represents the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives addressing climate change and agriculture. The first blog focused on […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Sustainable Livestock

Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Complications & COVID-19

May 21, 2020

There is more meat available than it seems, and that is thanks to farmers and ranchers, plant workers, small plant operators, and others working throughout the food supply chain…. Read More →

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

EQIP Signups Ongoing – Reach Out to Your NRCS Office!

March 16, 2020

Signup deadlines for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) vary by state, and there are many deadlines coming up at the end of March or even later in the Spring!… Read More →

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, General Interest, Organic, Sustainable Livestock

USDA Small Plant Roundtables Continue in 2020

March 11, 2020

Blog co-authored with Simone Benz, Sustainable Food Center Last month, the Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network, along with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and the Sustainable Food Center (SFC), hosted the first small and very small meat and poultry processing roundtable of 2020 in Austin, TX. We were excited to welcome the United States […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

RELEASE: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Sets 2020 Policy Priorities

February 6, 2020

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 […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety, Implementation & Rule-making, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access, Organic, Press Releases, Research, Education & Extension, Sustainable Livestock

RELEASE: 84,000 SIGNATURES STRONG, GROUPS DEMAND USDA PROTECT FARMERS OVER MEAT MONOPOLIES

October 14, 2019

Farm and rural advocacy organizations delivered more than 84,000 petition signatures to USDA offices as part of a campaign urging the agency to take action to protect farmers from corporate abuse and exploitation in the livestock sector…. Read More →

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

Farmers are Shouting; USDA Should Listen

September 12, 2019

Consolidation of the livestock sector has severely damaged competitive markets, livestock producer livelihoods, and rural qualities of life. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and our allies have long fought against this trend, and secured many significant victories for family farmers; ensuring, for example, that the 2008 Farm Bill require the Packers and Stockyards Act […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Sustainable Livestock

Regional Meetings Give Voice to Small Scale Meat and Poultry

August 16, 2019

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 […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Sustainable Livestock

Taking Matters into Their Own Hands: Farmers Urge USDA to Ensure Rights in Upcoming Rulemaking

July 19, 2019

Poultry, hog, and cattle growers from across the country stepped off their farms and stood up this week to consolidation, grower exploitation, and market manipulation by large meatpackers and processors (also called integrators). Meeting in Washington D.C. earlier this week, growers traveled from North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, West Virginia, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Sustainable Livestock

USDA to Tackle Corporate Concentration in Livestock Sector

July 2, 2019

Rising consolidation among meatpacking and processing companies over the past few decades has steadily eroded fair competition within the poultry and livestock industries. Despite years of clamoring from producers and advocacy organizations like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) for legislation and regulations needed to address this problem, progress has so far been painfully slow […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Sustainable Livestock

RELEASE: Agricultural Census Shows Continued Shrinking of Ag of the Middle

April 11, 2019

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 […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access, Organic, Press Releases, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development, Sustainable Livestock

Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: A Comprehensive Approach to Food and Farm Policy

November 1, 2017

Editor’s Note: On October 24, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its 2018 Farm Bill policy platform, An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill. NSAC has been a leader in agricultural policy for over 30 years, and has been instrumental in helping to develop some of our nation’s most successful agricultural programs for conserving […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Competition & Anti-trust, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Nutrition & Food Access, Organic, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development, Sustainable Livestock

Conservation Stewardship Program: Advancing Soil Health

September 13, 2017

Editor’s note: On September 19, 2017 NSAC published on editorial piece in The Hill, which discussed how the 2018 Farm Bill could help to promote soil health. To read the full text of that article, click here.  While agricultural consensus can be hard to come by, there is mounting agreement on the need to maintain […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Sustainable Livestock

USDA Freezes New Enrollments in Continuous Conservation Reserve Program

May 4, 2017

As of May 3, 2017, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) will cease enrollment of any new acres – with the exception of State Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) enrollments ­– through the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2017. While USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), which administers CCRP, will continue […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs, Sustainable Livestock

Organic Animal Welfare Final Rule – What It Says and What’s Next

January 27, 2017

Animal living conditions and well being have long been a key component of organic livestock production systems, including allowing animals to exhibit their natural behaviors and have access to their natural diets. However, inconsistencies in organic livestock and poultry production standards have emerged in recent times, causing confusion in the organic marketplace and jeopardizing the […]

Filed Under: Organic, Sustainable Livestock

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