June 9, 2018
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 […]
April 30, 2018
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 […]
March 8, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Seeding a Sustainable Future for American Agriculture Seeds for the Future Act will increase support for and access to public seed breeding programs Washington, DC, March 8, 2018 – The relationship between seed and crop is a simple one – no seeds means no […]
July 25, 2017
Editor’s Note: This is a guest blog by Kristina Hubbard, Director of Advocacy and Communications with NSAC member group, Organic Seed Alliance (OSA). OSA attended the Intellectual Property Rights for Public Plant Breeding Summit last year, and works independently as well as with NSAC on public plant breeding policy. Public plant breeding programs, as their […]
October 12, 2016
Editor’s Note: This article is a guest blog by Kristina Hubbard, Director of Advocacy and Communications with the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA). OSA is a non-profit organization based in Port Townsend, WA, and a close partner of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) “Seeds and Breeds” campaign work. Reports Describe Plant Breeding Priorities for Organic Organic Seed Alliance […]
June 28, 2016
The fresh produce from your local grocery store or farmers’ market may be certified organic, but anywhere from 25-80 percent of it might not have started out that way. A recent report from the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) reveals that the organic seed industry is far from keeping pace with the growth in demand for […]
February 11, 2016
A sustainable, localized, and resilient food system depends on the availability of seeds that are compatible with a variety of unique growing systems and climates. Organic farmers, for example, have different approaches to managing weeds and pests on their farms than traditional producers and therefore require seeds that are bred for their particular type of […]