News Roundup: Food Safety, Animal Disease, Farm to School

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USDA News from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

5/7/10 – Opportunity to Give Input on AFRI RFA: The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is accepting public comments on its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

(AFRI) to help guide the development of the 2011 Requests for Applications (RFAs).

5/5/10 – USDA Seeking Public Input on Animal Disease Traceability: The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the first three of a series of public meetings where stakeholders can offer input on the framework for a new APHIS rule on animal disease traceability.

Congressional News

5/7/10 – Food Safety Bill Still Pending in the Senate: S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act, is expected to be considered by the Senate right after the Memorial Day recess, according to Senate staff.   The bill is the first significant effort to increase food safety in decades and gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new enforcement authority over industry and will also have a significant impact on farmers.

5/5/10 – Organizations Urge Congress to Fund Farm to School: This Monday, May 3, NSAC and 40 other national agriculture, health, and food business organizations delivered a letter to House and Senate Congressional leaders urging them to include $50 million in mandatory funding for programs linking farmers with local schools as part of the 2010 Child Nutrition Act reauthorization.