Sustainability | Environment.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Tel. 347.563.6408

Release: Farm Bill Extension, USDA Funding Bill Underwhelm

Washington, DC, November 10, 2025 – After weeks of uncertainty, Congress has unveiled a one-year extension of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 as well as the fiscal year (FY) 2026 agriculture appropriations bill, a package that, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) could undermine conservation efforts and limit support for family farmers.

“After weeks of uncertainty, legislation unveiled over the weekend opts to needlessly restrict farmers’ ability to reduce input costs, invest in clean water, and build healthy soil. The FY2026 agriculture appropriations bill cuts nearly $ 100 million in support for conservation technical assistance, and the proposed farm bill extension fails to extend conservation program payment limits. Taken together, these bills make it harder

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USDA Staffing Crisis: Food Safety Agencies Struggle as Federal Workforce Shrinks

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Federal food safety agencies have seen significant staff losses in 2025, threatening their ability to serve stakeholders and ensure the safety of our food supply Several federal agencies – including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) – hold this responsibility. These federal agencies work with state partners to set and enforce food safety standards and help reduce the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks or the spread of disease from animals to humans. Staffing losses at the agencies, particularly inspectors and outreach professionals, threaten the safety of the US food system and the ability to serve agricultural enterprises of all types and sizes

This post continues the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) series on the federal staffing …

USDA Staffing Crisis: Legal Oversight Cuts Undermine Fairness and Accountability

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Photo credit: Adam Michael Szuscik, via Unsplash

Several offices within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provide legal guidance, oversight, and accountability for actions the Department takes, and these offices have endured significant staff losses in 2025. Their work, though often invisible to the public, is essential for ensuring that USDA follows its own rules and those set by Congress. It makes the Department transparent, accountable to the public for its decisions, and ensures it treats farmers and other stakeholders fairly. The major staff losses these offices are experiencing threaten that work.

This post is the sixth in our ongoing series on the staffing crisis at USDA. It examines the massive cuts to legal oversight offices within the Department including the National Appeals Division (NAD), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR), the Office of the …

Cross Post: The Organic Science and Research Investment Act: What It Is and How It Benefits All Farmers

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Cover crop experiment at Rogers Farm Forage and Crop Research Facility in Orono, Maine. Photo credit: Reana Kovalcik.

Editor’s Note: This blog post was written by Gordon Merrick, Policy Program Director at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), an NSAC member and first appeared on their site here.

Ensuring that there are sufficient research resources for organic producers is central to OFRF’s mission and represents the backbone of a resilient food system. That’s why we’re proud to announce that we have led the development of a letter urging Congress to include the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act in the next Farm Bill, just introduced this month by Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17). This bill provides substantial support and funding for agricultural research programming that benefits all farmers, from those certified organic, transitioning to organic …

USDA Staffing Crisis: Eroding Capacity Within the Foreign Agricultural Service

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Grain ship Desert Eagle in Elliott Bay, Seattle

“I believe public service is my calling… The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) hasn’t received much coverage in the media, but they do important work in advancing American agricultural interests abroad. Given the current administration’s priorities, I thought they would double down on this mission by staffing departments like the FAS. However, despite receiving and signing an offer letter following an arduous interview and security clearance process, my offer was withdrawn before my start date.”
— Rescinded FAS hire

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for building international markets for US agricultural products and overseeing international trade negotiations. It is also the division responsible for supporting international food aid programs, producing detailed reports on international market conditions, and helping to ensure food …

SARE Roundup: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Opportunities

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Cover crop, diakon radishes. Photo credit: Edwin Remsberg

*Despite the current government shutdown, these RFA’s will remain open, and the review process will continue. If the timeline changes, NSAC will update this blog post to reflect that.

Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has funded more than 9,380 farmer-driven research and education initiatives through competitive grant awards totaling nearly $ 478 million. As the only farmer-driven, sustainable agriculture competitive research grant program offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), SARE provides farmers and researchers with vital opportunities to better understand agricultural systems and to increase profitability and build resilience to climate change. SARE-backed initiatives have furthered land and natural resource stewardship by funding research on topics such as soil health management, crop and livestock integration, soil erosion and runoff mitigation, and organic farming practices. …

How the Government Shutdown is Impacting Farmers

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US Capitol Building. Photo credit: Eric B. Walker.

The transition from one fiscal year to the next is not something that typically dominates headlines. In fact, as the calendar turns from September 30 to October 1 – when the federal government begins a new fiscal year – the less attention the better. Yet when Congress and the President are unable to reach an agreement on government funding, the start of a new fiscal year can bring with it tremendous impacts.

During a government shutdown some federal services will remain in operation, while others may go dark, and the longer the shutdown lasts, the more severe the disruptions become. This year, Congress and President Trump failed to reach an agreement to fund the government beyond September 30, 2025 – and as a result the government has largely closed. The President and …

REAP Must Remain Functional and Accessible to Farmers

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Seldom Rest Farms of Myerstown, PA used REAP to help finance solar panels on their farm. Photo credit: USDA.

Farmers and rural businesses are still waiting to find out if they can access one of the United State Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) most popular programs, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This USDA program, which provides federal grants and loan guarantees for farmers and rural small businesses to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy systems, has endured a funding freeze, delays, and now a potentially fundamental shift in program functions.

On August 19, 2025, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a press release outlining a number of changes to the REAP program, as well as to the USDA Rural Development Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program. Specific to REAP, effective immediately, the memo outlines restrictions to …