Budget Deal May Impact Farm and Food Programs

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Taylor in Farming Resources, Local Food, News, Policy, Politics, Sustainable Agriculture // 0 Comments

News from the National Sustainable Agriculture Association (NSAC) includes information about how the Budget Deal May Impact Farm and Food Programs, and much more…

Two-Year Budget Deal Includes Major Offsets, Impacts Farm + Food Programs – Budget Deal May Impact Farm and Food Programs

After months of uncertainty and start-and-stop negotiations between Congress and the White House, last week congressional leaders finally announced a two-year budget agreement. In addition to setting top-line funding levels so that the government can keep running, the budget deal sets annual discretionary spending caps for defense and non-defense programs for FY 2020 and 2021, and raises the debt limit. The House approved the deal last week, and the Senate is expected to do so later this week. The final deal will then be sent to the President’s desk.

COMMENT: Mandatory Farm Bill Funds Traded Away in Budget Negotiations – Budget Deal May Impact Farm and Food Programs

After months of handwringing and tense negotiations, today Congress passed – and the President is expected to sign – a two-year budget deal that sets overall funding levels for public programs through 2021. NSAC welcomed news of the long-awaited budget deal, but lamented that Congress has handicapped critical farm bill programs in the process. Juli Obudzinski, NSAC Interim Policy Director commented, “As farmers continue to struggle to stay afloat amidst climate crises, ongoing trade wars, mounting farm debt coupled with market uncertainties, we urge Congress to prioritize funding increases across farm and food programs.”

Farmer Outreach Needed to Increase Adoption of Research Innovations

U.S. agriculture relies on innovations and new technology to support not continued productivity and to increase resilience within our farm and food systems. Investment in publicly funded agriculture research, however, has stagnated over the several decades, even though the need to equip farmers with new tools to address new challenges is increasingly dire. RMF’s new report, Cooperative Extension and Public Outreach: Advancing Agriculture and Improving Lives, features 22 success stories illustrating the important role Cooperative Extension, NGOs, and other institutions serve in providing critical outreach to farmers. Several NSACmember organizations who work on the ground conducting both research and outreach to farmers, are featured in this report.

NSAC NEWS

NSAC is seeking a Policy Director!

Are you deeply committed to sustainable agriculture and experienced in federal policy? Would you enjoy charting the next phase of NSAC’s policy work and leading our passionate, high-performing, member-engaged, and collaborative policy team that is dedicated to working for racial equity? If so, please consider stepping up to be NSAC’s new Policy Director! NSAC offers competitive non-profit salary and benefits and is an equal opportunity employer.