For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Release: Stabenow Introduces Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act
Comprehensive Farm Bill Draft Would Strengthen Support for Farmers and Rural Communities
Washington, DC, November 19, 2024 – Yesterday, U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act which builds upon the framework released earlier this year and makes strategic investments to move agriculture forward.
“The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act highlights the longstanding path – and shrinking window – to completing a bipartisan farm bill this year. The bill would build a more fair and accessible farm safety net for farmers and ranchers, make robust investments in local and regional food systems, and protect generational conservation and climate resources as farmers nationwide battle extreme weather,” said Mike Lavender, Policy Director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), adding that: “We thank Chairwoman Stabenow for her leadership toward a farm bill that balances the diversity of U.S. food and agriculture and strives to build a fair and functional food system. NSAC will remain committed to working with all House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to secure a new farm bill.”
In May 2024, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow released a detailed section-by-section framework of the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. Later that same month, the House Agriculture Committee approved the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, which has failed to reach the House floor. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) was not extended beyond September 30, 2024, requiring Congress to either pass a new farm bill or extend the 2018 Farm Bill by the end of the calendar year in order to stave off significant impacts to food and farm policy, including for programs without baseline funding.
Find the full text of the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act here.
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The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net
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