Organic News, Congressional News, FDA News

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The latest Organic News, Congressional News, and FDA News from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition…

ORGANIC NEWS 

Consumer Sentiment and Supply Scalability Will Determine Future of Organic Price Premiums – A recently published report from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) analyzed trends in organic price premiums for 17 popular organic products and identified opportunities and challenges to the industry’s growth. Premiums for organic products are supported by consumers’ willingness to pay more for organics. Key findings from this report are summarized.

Inter-Agency Blockages Threaten to Halt Further Progress on Organic Crop Insurance – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency has made steady progress on the 2014 Farm Bill’s mandate – a requirement that the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition championed ­– that the agency complete organic price elections. However, now that the easiest work has been done (i.e. the organic crops with the most available data have been added), an inter-agency rift threatens to impede further progress.

CONGRESSIONAL NEWS 

Release: Farm Groups and Farm Lenders Appeal for Assistance During Credit Crunch The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) expects to completely run out of operating loan funds in the next few weeks. If this happens, farmers applying this year will still be able to have their applications approved by FSA, but they will not actually receive loan funds until Congress acts on the next agricultural spending bill.

FDA NEWS 

Seven Major FSMA Rules Now Final – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently finalized two of the remaining major rules required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): one governing shippers, carriers, and any other entity involved in transporting food, and another overseeing intentional acts of adulteration in the food supply. These rules establish new, prevention-oriented requirements for points across the entire supply chain, and are the last of seven major rules FDA is expected to finalize under FSMA.

NSAC NEWS

NSAC is Hiring – Know a talented grassroots organizer with a passion for sustainable agriculture? NSAC is currently seeking a Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator to join our DC team. Visit our jobs page to learn more about the position and how to apply.