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Leading National and Regional Organizations Align on Future-Focused Priorities
The federal Farm Bill, which governs the nation's food, farm and nutrition assistance programs, is supposed to be updated every five years. The current Farm Bill, enacted in 2018, was to expire at the end of September 2023, but Congress was unable to reach an agreement and extended the 2018 measure for one year.
That extension expires at the end of this month. And while it seems more likely than not that another extension will be needed, a coalition of leading organizations seeking a better food system is laying down its marker for its Farm Bill priorities.
The original signers of the letter are Center for Science in the Public Interest, Environmental Working Group, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). There is also a massive list of regional non-profits and companies that have also signed on in support of the priorities.
The coalition is seeking additional signatories by a deadline of this Thursday (September 5), after which the letter will be sent to congressional leaders of both parties. Click the button below to read the full letter and sign on to support the letter.
The letter calls on Congress "to deliver a 2024 farm bill that builds toward a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable food and farm system — and to reinforce that expediency to finish a bill this year must not come at the expense of policies that address hunger, public health, farmers, workers, and the environment."
The priorities listed are:
Invest in all farmers and ranchers, strengthen our food system, build a fair and accessible farm safety net, improve climate resilience, and meaningfully support workers and the next generation of farmers.
Make meaningful progress against food insecurity and hunger — protecting and strengthening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — while simultaneously supporting nutrition and access to healthy food.
Uphold expert advice and existing processes for updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and school meal nutrition standards.
Make long overdue investments in the food and farm workers who keep our food supply chains secure, vibrant, and resilient.
Invest strongly in agricultural research and conservation programming.
Utilize an opportunity to double down on the historic climate investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, while not undermining legislative direction to target high value climate practices.
Prioritize investments that support individuals and communities who historically have been and, in some cases, continue to be underserved by current federal food and farm policy
Local Food Forum agrees with all of these priorities and has applied to be a signatory to the Farm Bill letter.
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