Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) has distributed billions in aid, but has left out thousands of producers, including farmers and ranchers who market locally, regionally or direct to consumers and especially Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) producers.

CFAP payments are based on national, wholesale prices that do not always reflect the real value of crops sold by farmers directly to the customers. The Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act (Local Farmer Act) would address this concern by providing direct payments to local and regional food producers based on their historic revenue, and help their local markets as they both cope with the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more details below: 

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Yesterday, The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and farmers and ranchers from across the country delivered a letter to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (Select Committee), urging Congress to support and invest in farming and rural communities to address the climate crisis. 

The letter underscores the fundamental threat that the climate crisis poses to the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers and the viability of agriculture. NSAC organized a webinar with members of the Select Committee and five farmers who signed the letter and shared their stories on how climate change has impacted their operations and lives. They highlighted how Congress can increase support for farmers to implement climate stewardship practices and build resilience to climate stresses. 

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