Sustainable Agriculture Policy Updates from April 1-6 2014

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Policy and Politics: Updates from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) from the Week of April 1st-6th, 2014

FSMA News:

Big Week for Animal Food Safety – As part of the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released proposed regulations for facilities that process animal food last fall.  The draft regulations propose to establish Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) requirements for animal food facilities. Read More…

Farm Bill News:

Secretary Vilsack Reports to House Agriculture Committee on Farm Bill Implementation – At a hearing of the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed questions concerning the department’s implementation of key farm bill provisions and role in supporting rural economies.  That same day, USDA released a Farm Bill Implementation Progress Report… Read More…

Senate Bill Would Limit Crop Insurance Premium Subsidies – Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) have introduced a bill (S. 2201) that would place a hard limit on crop insurance premium subsidies.  The bipartisan bill would limit payments to $70,000 per farm per year and is estimated to save over $1 billion over the next ten years. Read More…

Budget and Appropriations News:

More 2015 Funding Hearings – Food Safety, Rural Development, and Marketing Programs – This week, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held hearings on the Obama Administration’s FY 2015 funding requests for three USDA mission areas – Food Safety, Rural Development, and Marketing and Regulatory Programs, which includes the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). Read More…

Groups Urge Congress to Protect Conservation Funding – On Thursday, April 3, NSAC and 28 other national organizations delivered a letter to members of the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees urging them to oppose cuts to conservation programs in fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations legislation. Read More…

House Budget Resolution Moves Ahead – On Tuesday,  Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) released the House GOP’s Fiscal Year 2015 House budget Resolution  as a symbolic representation of party priorities and fiscal austerity.  It is likely to squeak through passage on the House floor, but that is as far as it will go. Read More…