FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Email: lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel: 347.563.6408
Comment: NSAC Lauds USDA Framework to Transform the Food System
Announced Today by Secretary Vilsack
Washington, DC, June 1, 2022 – Today, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack gave an address at Georgetown University announcing the USDA Framework to Transform the Food System. In response, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Eric Deeble, NSAC Policy Director:
“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds Secretary Vilsack’s announcement of a framework to transform the food system to support consumers, producers, and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating and improving markets for diverse producers. Today’s announcement is another meaningful step toward creating a more fair, equitable, and sustainable farm and food system. When taken together with USDAs recent actions to fight concentration and consolidation and support climate focused conservation programs, these new investments will help farmers grow healthy, affordable foods for families in their own communities.”
“NASC commends USDA for committing $ 2.095 billion in new funding to strengthen critical parts of the food system, to promote greater competition and fairness, build resiliency, and generate greater economic opportunity for small and medium scale producers. For far too long we have seen how inadequate competition stifles growth and innovation throughout the agricultural supply chain and makes the food system susceptible to significant shocks such as pandemics and war.”
“NSAC believes these increased investments are critical to addressing longstanding structural challenges related to production systems, anti-competition and anti-consolidation, farmer incomes, rising food prices, and addressing equity and food access. We are particularly pleased to see:
-$ 200 million for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program to expand pathways to existing markets;
-An addition of $ 50 million for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program; $ 40 million in the GusNIP Produce Prescriptions Program; and $ 60 million to leverage increased commodity purchases through Farm-to-School, to help consumers and institutions purchase more healthy foods from farmers in their own communities; and
-$ 300 million for Organic Transition and $ 75 million to support urban agriculture to help farmers seeking to engage in more sustainable practices.”
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
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: http://sustainableagriculture.net
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