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A recently released House proposal for the overdue 2024 Farm Bill is sparking significant concerns. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack warns the bill, introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Penn.), could cause an impasse due to proposed SNAP cuts and shifting disaster relief control to Congress. The bill could lead to a $30 billion cut to SNAP over the next decade. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and a member of the House Agriculture Committee, emphasizes the need for bipartisanship: “I'm committed to keeping it that way.” Tribal perspectives highlight the delay's impact on new opportunities for tribal producers. Abi Fain from the Intertribal Agriculture Council hopes to maintain momentum from the 2018 Farm Bill. The Native Farm Bill Coalition appreciates bipartisan efforts, but urges more inclusion of tribal priorities. It’s crucial to push for a Farm Bill that supports all communities, including tribal nations. Tribal Business News has the story. #FarmBill #Agriculture #SNAP #USDA #TribalNations #Bipartisanship #FoodSecurity #SustainableAgriculture

5 takeaways from the House farm bill draft   Lawmakers are split over food assistance and climate-smart agriculture proposals, although farm groups praised Republicans' efforts to boost safety net and trade promotion funding. https://lnkd.in/g7QBHv3v

We can all rally around keeping an effective and efficient USDA in operation while #Bipartisanship #Negotiations pave an #EquitablePath. #CommunityHealth #CommunityWealth #FamilyFarms #FamilyRanches #LandTenure #FeedAmerica #FarmBill2023 #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCrops #Agrivoltaics

🚜🌾New figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveal a concerning trend in farmers' confidence, with half not feeling positive about their future in farming. Of those making changes, a quarter plan to reduce business size, and 14% intend to exit farming in the next three to five years. The government emphasizes the need for revamped farming schemes to support all farmers, including those often overlooked, like small, grassland, upland, and tenanted farms. Secretary of state Steve Reed outlines plans to boost stability, prevent undercuts in trade deals, and enhance food security. The government's initiatives include optimizing Environmental Land Management schemes, seeking a new veterinary agreement with the EU, safeguarding farmers from trade undercuts, and backing British produce through government procurement. The focus is on driving rural economic growth, ensuring fair supply chains, and enhancing flood resilience and nature recovery in a just and equitable manner. Steve Reed Farmers Guide The Labour Party Aleksandra Cupriak #Farming #Agriculture #RuralEconomy #FoodSecurity #EnvironmentalManagement

On May 24, after more than 12 hours of debate, the U.S. House of Representatives #Agriculture Committee passed the #Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (H.R. 8467), a.k.a. #farmbill, with a 33-21 vote. All 29 Republican members of the committee and four Democrats voted for it. Partisanship played into debates over spending priorities and the #Nutrition Title. The draft bill includes an increase in reference prices (canola from $20.15/cwt to $23.75), chance to add base acres and #crop insurance incentives. It also increases the #Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) guarantee to 90% of the benchmark revenue (currently 86%) and the maximum ARC payment to 12.5% of the ARC revenue (currently 10%). Democratic amendments pertaining to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and climate-smart #agriculture conservation funding were defeated. The U.S. #Canola Association and other farm groups applauded the House’s draft farm bill, writing to Thompson that numerous provisions “are responsive to the needs and requests” presented to him and his staff over the past 17 months. https://ow.ly/3Pwm50S2vUn Northern Canola Growers Assn

The GAO recently released a report indicating that USDA had to do better with collecting, tracking and sharing information about foreign ownership of agricultural land in America. Glad to see attention being paid to America's farmland - its a vital resource for this nation and who owns it matters! Having sound information is key to informing good public policy. The Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) Survey is our nation’s best source of information of many kinds about agricultural land ownership. But the TOTAL survey was last conducted in 2014 with state-level data for only select states. AFT and our allies have urged Congress to commit at least $15 million in the next Farm Bill to ensure that the next TOTAL survey will give us better information so our nation can protect our agricultural land. Lets hope that Congress shows leadership and makes this happen! #farmland #publicpolicy #nationalsecurity https://lnkd.in/eU3gfei6 https://lnkd.in/esKwREtH

On track to be the most expensive Farm Bill in the country’s history, the approved draft proposes to bolster farm safety net payments for certain commodities, expand eligibility for disaster assistance and increase funding for specialty crops. 🔽 Much more here 🔽 https://ow.ly/22NI50S30sb #foodindustry #foodandbeverage #foodmanufacturing

After stalls, an official delay and nearly a year of fierce debates on both sides of congressional aisles, the farm bill made strides recently after the Republicans’ version of the massive $1.5 trillion legislation package that lays out plans to support nutrition and agriculture programs over the next five years was approved by House of Representatives Agriculture Committee members just after midnight on May 24 following an 11-hour markup session. #foodbusiness #agriculture https://ow.ly/8z2x50S2aL5

USDA's new equity report contains 32 recommendations for reducing discriminatory practices, which have contributed to the underdevelopment of Native American producers and Black farmers losing nearly 90% of their farmland between 1910 and 1997. Recommendations include integrating Indigenous farming practices into sustainable agriculture criteria and supporting smaller, non-traditional farmers in accessing climate program funding. "The Equity Commission recognizes that USDA climate programs have historically targeted large-scale producers and have not supported traditional sustainable practices." https://lnkd.in/g6XK6bXz

The next #FarmBill is coming soon. We appreciate the progress that these two visions represent, and recognize that the Farm Bill process is one defined by compromise. Though there is much work to be done to achieve bipartisan and bicameral agreement, we see the releases yesterday as healthy discourse in service of crafting a bill that meaningfully addresses the many challenges facing farmers and ranchers, and particularly Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) farmers. https://lnkd.in/eJny3F8b