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Inflation Reduction Act Conservation Dollars Are a Vital Bulwark Against Climate Change

December 8, 2023

The Inflation Reduction Act allocated nearly $20 billion in new agricultural conservation funding across key programs to address climate change challenges faced by farmers. This historic investment, distributed through programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, supports practices that enhance both greenhouse gas mitigation and on-farm resilience. Despite positive impacts reported by farmers who received funding, challenges persist, including the need for increased financial support, overcoming barriers in accessing funds, and ensuring the broad implementation of conservation practices to build a more climate-resilient agricultural landscape…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment

Release: NSAC Celebrates Final Rule Promoting Transparency for Contract Poultry Growers

November 8, 2023

NSAC celebrated Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for publishing the first of several expected final rules to modernize the century-old Packers and Stockyards Act: “Transparency in Poultry Growing Contracts and Tournaments.” The rulemaking process was set in motion as part of the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy in 2021.  … Read More →

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

More Money Out the Door! Farm Bill and IRA Funding Available Through Conservation Innovation Grants

September 15, 2023

USDA NRCS announced the availability of $65 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is split into two separate opportunities: $50 million for CIG On Farm Trials and $15 million for CIG Classic. Half of the funding for the On Farm Trials competition was provided through the historic Inflation Reduction Act. This post provides details on both programs and how to apply before the October 30, 2023 deadline…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill

Heart and Soil: Farmer Advocate Rosie Burroughs Calls on Congressmembers to Take Climate Action 

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…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Conservation, Energy & Environment, General Interest, Local & Regional Food Systems, Organic, Research, Education & Extension, Sustainable Livestock

RELEASE: Fair Competition Livestock Rule Fails to Advance Needed Reforms

December 10, 2020

Contact: Eric Deeble, Policy DirectorNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionedeeble@sustainableagriculture.net Fair Competition Livestock Rule Fails to Advance Needed ReformsUSDA fails to address major issues with its “undue preference” rule Washington, DC, December 10th, 2020 – Today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released a final rule to attempt to satisfy 2008 Farm Bill requirements to […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, General Interest, Press Releases

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

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

Long Awaited GIPSA Rule Needs Major Improvement

February 25, 2020

On January 13, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a long-delayed proposed rule on the undue or unreasonable preference provision, Section 202(b), of the Packers & Stockyards Act of 1921 (P&SA). The P&SA was enacted to combat consolidation and lack of competition in the livestock and poultry industries as meatpackers and processors (also known […]

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

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

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

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: Elected Officials Called Upon to Increase Fairness for Family Farmers

June 21, 2019

Editor’s Note: This press release was originally issued by Food & Water Watch, and was sent as a joint release between: Food & Water Watch, National Farmers Union, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and RAFI-USA. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754; rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Presidential Candidates Called Upon to Increase Fairness for Family Farmers Washington, […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust

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

USDA Publishes Farmer Fair Practices Rules to Help American Farmers and Ranchers

December 15, 2016

USDA has taken the historic step of issuing three rules that will begin to bring some fairness and order to the poultry and livestock industries, with a particular focus on farmers growing under contracts with the big meat and poultry processing corporations. These three rules, when finalized, will prevent unfair and anti-competitive practices by meat […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, General Interest

Farmer Fair Practices Rules Could Be an Easy Win for Trump Administration

November 22, 2016

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently reviewing a set of three rules from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that, if finalized, could easily be an early win for the Trump Administration. USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has been working on the “Farmer Fair Practices” rules with the support of […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust

COMMENT: NSAC Applauds USDA for Moving Forward with Farmer Fair Practices Rules

October 14, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paul Wolfe, 202-547-574, pwolfe@sustainableagriculture.net Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-574, fhoefner@sustainableagriculture.net NSAC Applauds USDA for Moving Forward with Farmer Fair Practices Rules Washington, DC, Oct 14, 2016 – We thank Secretary Vilsack for moving forward on the Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration’s (GIPSA) “Farmer Fair Practices Rules”, which were sent today by USDA to the […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Press Releases

Livestock and Poultry Industry Groups Continue Efforts to Stall USDA Protections for Farmers

October 11, 2016

Six years ago, powerful corporate livestock and poultry industry groups released a report claiming that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2010 Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule would harm family poultry and livestock producers. In fact, what they were really worried about was interrupting the anti-competitive, vertically integrated livestock and poultry systems that they […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust, Sustainable Livestock

Boosting Community Development through Value-Added Products in Fulton, MO

April 28, 2016

When farmers and entrepreneurs take raw agricultural products like vegetables, grains, or dairy and transform them into goods like sauces and bread, they increase their bottom line because of the higher prices they can demand and they also contribute to community and rural economic development by creating new jobs in processing, marketing, or retail. The […]

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

Congressional Appropriators Support a Level Playing Field for Contract Farmers

March 18, 2016

Yesterday, eight Congressional Appropriators signed on to a letter to United States Agriculture Department (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, thanking him for moving forward with rules to protect contract livestock and poultry producers from unfair and retaliatory practices. The letter, signed by four Senate and four House agriculture appropriators, comes on the heels of Secretary Vilsack’s […]

Filed Under: Competition & Anti-trust

USDA Revokes Grass Fed Meat Labeling Standard

January 12, 2016

On Tuesday, January 12, the USDA AMS rescinded the labeling standard for grass fed meat… Read More →

Filed Under: Sustainable Livestock

What is the “GIPSA Rider” and why is the House once again attacking farmers’ rights?

June 17, 2014

A legislative rider tacked onto the 2015 agriculture funding bill will strip USDA’s ability to protect farmers rights… Read More →

Filed Under: Action Alerts, Competition & Anti-trust

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