Fair Competition Livestock Rule and More
Critique of Fair Competition Livestock Rule, $150 Million for Sustainable Agriculture Research, New FDA Food Traceability Rule, 2051 Program Funding Cut and More from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
Release: Fair Competition Livestock Rule Fails to Advance Needed Reforms
Yesterday, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released a final fair competition livestock rule to attempt to satisfy 2008 Farm Bill requirements to create criteria for determining whether meat packers give undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to one producer over another.
Unfortunately, the final fair competition livestock rule does not do enough to prevent integrators from circumventing the purpose of the Packers and Stockyards Act. It fails to restore competition to the market to give our farmers and ranchers a fair chance against large corporations.
$150M For Sustainable Agriculture Research, Impacts, and Assessment
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Sustainable Agriculture Systems (SAS) program is poised to support $150 million in sustainable agriculture research for FY 2021, with awards up to $10 million per project.
The FY 2021 Request for Applications (RFA) will identify projects that focus on the themes put forward in the USDA’s Science Blueprint, such as sustainable agriculture intensification, climate adaptation, value-added innovation, and food and nutrition translation. For more information on the program and a timeline of key deadlines, check out our blog:
What the New FDA Food Traceability Rule Means for Farms: Part 2
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a food traceability proposed rule which establishes additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for businesses who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods on FDA’s Food Traceability List (FTL). This post is Part 2 of a two part series on the new FDA Food Traceability proposed rule. To learn more about the history of the proposed rule, and if you are exempt from the rule, visit the Part 1 post here. This blog will focus on proposed compliance requirements if you are not exempt from the rule, and some of the issues that might arise for farms and food businesses if the proposed requirements are finalized.
Funding Cut for 2501 Program Despite Record Need to Respond to Covid-19 Pandemic
For three decades, the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the “Section 2501” program) has been the only farm bill program reserved to address the specific needs of these underserved populations in agriculture.
USDA recently announced the latest round of funding for 2501 projects, dedicated to providing outreach and critical support to BIPOC farmers. Unfortunately, total program funds are smaller this year, placing undue stress on already stretched-thin community organizations working to respond to farmers during this unprecedented period of prolonged economic hardship. Read more below:
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