LETTER TO CONGRESS ON FEDERAL BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS 

may 29, 2019 – WASHINGTON

As Congress negotiates a new budget deal the Farm to Fork Initiative strongly urges you to prioritize the food and agriculture challenges we face related to agricultural research, farm credit, nutrition, clean water, food safety, and economic development. The non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending caps must be raised substantially to provide for these pressing needs while also accommodating new needs such as funding for the decennial census.  In addition to raising NDD caps, we also urge you to scale back mandatory sequestration, which has hurt the food system by cutting support for the farm safety net and voluntary farm conservation programs, as well as programs for beginning farmers, local food systems, specialty crops, renewable energy, and organic research. Farmers continue to struggle against the continued downturn in the farm economy and especially now, farm, nutrition, food safety, rural development, and agricultural research programs should be the last place to find budgetary savings. It is imperative that Congress increase the budget caps and make needed investments in food and agriculture so that we can continue to build a healthy, safe, and affordable food system that we can be proud of. Take agricultural research as but one example. Today, we face national challenges in food production, farming opportunity, food safety, natural resources, nutrition, and community economic development. Solutions to these critical challenges require more food and agricultural research funding, yet funding has been more or less flat for decades. Thankfully, the 2018 Farm Bill and FY 2019 appropriations bill made a crucial down payment toward returning the U.S. back to preeminence in public agricultural research. With that fresh start, the goal could be achieved within five years, but only if the threat of discretionary and mandatory sequestration is removed and Congress sets and pursues a funding goal in line with the pressing national and global challenges. From farm to fork, our food system should be something we are proud of. Americans deserve a food system that is healthy, safe, and affordable. Congress should reach a new budget deal that allows NDD spending, including food and agricultural spending, to grow, while scaling back if not eliminating mandatory sequestration for farm, food, and conservation programs. Thank you for considering our views.

Sincerely,

The Farm to Fork Initiative

STATEMENT ON FARM BILL

December 11, 2018 – WASHINGTON

The Farm to Fork Initiative brings together advocates who share an interest in a better food system. Today, Eric Kessler of Arabella Advisors, speaking on behalf of the Initiative, released the following statement on the 2018 Farm Bill:

“The Farm to Fork Initiative welcomes the bipartisan Farm Bill which preserves overall funding for conservation programs and funding, benefits, and eligibility for anti-hunger programs. We also appreciate that Congressional leaders are providing permanent funding for healthy food incentives and local, organic, and beginning farmer programs for the first time. And we are grateful for the final bill’s rejection of anti-environmental riders and harmful barriers to anti-hunger programs. However, no farm bill is perfect. Far more funding is needed to reward good stewardship on working lands and to provide a strong safety net for families struggling against hunger. Expanding subsidy loopholes will further tilt the playing field against the family farmers that our farm safety net should serve.”

The Farm to Fork Initiative has been working in support of the following organizations throughout the 2018 Farm Bill process. Below are their statements on the 2018 Farm Bill. 

Environmental Working Group
EWG Applauds Farm Bill Drinking Water Reforms.

Food Research and Action Center 
Farm Bill Agreement Rejects Array of Harmful SNAP Provisions and Keeps Food on the Table for Millions of People Struggling Against Hunger.

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Farm Bill Delivers Victories for Beginning Farmers, Organic/Local Food:
Concerns remain over long-term loss in conservation funding, failure to close farm safety net loopholes.

Food Policy Action
Food Policy Action is Satisfied with Final Bill Out of Conference Committee.

Natural Resources Defense Council
Farm Bill Negotiators Ditch Environmental Rollbacks.

Center for Science in the Public Interest
Bipartisan Farm Bill Protects SNAP, but Falls Short on Nutrition.

Union of Concerned Scientists
Farm Bill Conference Report Heeds Evidence on SNAP and Invests in Local Food Economies, But Slashes Key Conservation Program.