Sustainability | Environment.org

On Tuesday, June 23, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) released the long-awaited text of the Agricultural Act of 2026 (the Agricultural Act). Clocking in at just over 900 pages, the Agricultural Act would update wide swaths of federal food and farm policy – yet NSAC’s initial analysis found that the draft falls well short of tapping its full potential. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives approved their own, separate version of the farm bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

The most recent full farm bill – the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill, PL 115-334) – was signed into law in December 2018. As of July 2026, we are in uncharted waters – over seven and a half years have passed since the …

Comment: Senate Farm Bill Takes A Step Forward, Significant Work Remains

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| Sustainability

For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: Senate Farm Bill Takes A Step Forward, Significant Work Remains

Washington, DC, August 6, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Agricultural Act of 2026:

“The path to a durable farm bill for all farmers and families has always been through a robust, bipartisan process – today’s markup reinforces that. A bipartisan amendment successfully secured meaningful funding for market opportunities for local farmers, an incredibly positive step forward. Yet the inability to find bipartisan solutions to address deep cuts to popular, oversubscribed conservation programs and the SNAP program will continue to weigh this bill down until real solutions are found. NSAC thanks Senators for

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Comment: Revised Senate Farm Bill Proposal Still Falls Flat for Most Farmers

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| Sustainability

For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: Revised Senate Farm Bill Proposal Still Falls Flat for Most Farmers

Washington, DC, August 2, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman’s (R-AR) revised farm bill proposal. The committee will mark up the updated version of the Agricultural Act of 2026 on the morning of Thursday, August 6.

The latest Senate farm bill proposal comes up short on delivering the stability and level playing field that are so badly needed. American farmers and ranchers face a fundamentally destabilized agriculture landscape, and this farm bill would compound uncertainty by making deep cuts to conservation programs, withholding investments that would fuel domestic markets for local farmers, and leaving

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Release: NSAC Urges Reconsideration of Problematic OMB Proposed Rule

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| Sustainability

For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Release: NSAC Urges Reconsideration of Problematic OMB Proposed Rule

Washington, DC, July 14, 2026 – Yesterday, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) submitted detailed comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) citing major concerns with OMB’s proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance and urging the agency to rescind the rule in its entirety. NSAC warned that the proposal would inject new uncertainty and risk into an already fragile agricultural sector and undermine the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ability to fulfill its mission.

In its 20‑plus page comment letter, NSAC outlines concerns with the proposal, including, as the comment states:“new and expanded discretionary suspension and termination authority; legal and compliance concerns regarding vague and undefined terms; added burdens on funding recipients and particularly on farmers and

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Release: Farmers Advance Sustainable Agriculture Priorities During NSAC Lobby Day

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| Sustainability

For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Release: Farmers Advance Sustainable Agriculture Priorities During NSAC Lobby Day

Washington, DC, July 21, 2026 – Today, nearly 40 farmers, ranchers, and agriculture stakeholders participated in a National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Lobby Day. Farmers from 12 states – California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – and a wide array of production types and farm sizes met virtually with policymakers to share firsthand accounts of how they are leveraging federal programs to build thriving farm businesses and feed their communities. The farmer visits come as Congress weighs a new farm bill, emergency farm assistance, and fiscal year (FY) 2027 agriculture appropriations.

“With all of the turmoil around the Farm Bill, last year’s contract freezes, and FSA/NRCS staff cuts here

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Release: NSAC Applauds the Introduction of the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act

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| Sustainability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Tel. 347.563.6408

Release: NSAC Applauds the Introduction of the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act

Washington, DC, July 15, 2026 – Yesterday, Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Greg Casar (D-TX) introduced the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act. Over the past few decades, the continued consolidation of the seed industry has driven up costs for those who grow food and those who buy it at the grocery store. The future of sustainable and organic agriculture and local, affordable, healthy food systems across the country – along with farmers’ ability to meet the challenges of climate change and food security – depends on reigning in corporate control of seeds.

“The hyperconsolidation and commodification of seeds have eroded farmers’ resilience and diminished the agrobiodiversity of crops cultivated in the US at an

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The Food Safety Outreach Program’s 10th Birthday: A Review

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| Sustainability

History

The Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) was originally authorized with the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Recognizing the importance of providing training – particularly for smaller, more economically vulnerable operations, Congress created FSOP to fund outreach, education, training, and technical assistance projects that directly assist small and mid-sized farms, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, and small-scale wholesalers. FSOP’s focus is to ensure that training is tailored to the diverse needs of these businesses and the production systems they use, particularly sustainable production systems, including organic and conservation practices.

Fifteen years since FSMA passed and ten years into FSOP grants, this program remains critical as FDA continues to roll out new regulations to fully implement FSMA, with mixed results. Yet, funding for FSOP has remained stagnant – and even decreased …

Proposed Grant Rules Increase Uncertainty, Risk for Farmers

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| Sustainability

Since January 2025, farmers, agricultural organizations, and the communities they serve have experienced unprecedented instability in long-standing federal partnerships with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lengthy funding freezes, unanticipated grant terminations, full program cancellations, and a woefully understaffed USDA have detrimentally disrupted the programs, services, and resources that farmers and rural communities leverage to build environmentally resilient and economically viable businesses, strengthen local and regional supply chains, and grow the next generation of farmers and ranchers. Now, proposed changes to federal rules governing grants and cooperative agreements threaten to further destabilize an already fragile agricultural sector by injecting additional uncertainty and risk into the agreements farmers and farmer-serving organizations enter into with the USDA. This post provides context and background on the issue, analyzes key concerns with the proposed rule, and offers resources for stakeholders who …

Environment.org

Category: Sustainability

Digging Deeper into the Senate’s Farm Bill ‘Discussion Draft’

Comment: Senate Farm Bill Takes A Step Forward, Significant Work Remains

Comment: Senate Farm Bill Takes A Step Forward, Significant Work Remains

Comment: Revised Senate Farm Bill Proposal Still Falls Flat for Most Farmers

Release: NSAC Urges Reconsideration of Problematic OMB Proposed Rule

Release: NSAC Urges Reconsideration of Problematic OMB Proposed Rule

Release: Farmers Advance Sustainable Agriculture Priorities During NSAC Lobby Day

Release: Farmers Advance Sustainable Agriculture Priorities During NSAC Lobby Day

Release: NSAC Applauds the Introduction of the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act

Release: NSAC Applauds the Introduction of the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act

The Food Safety Outreach Program’s 10th Birthday: A Review

History

Proposed Grant Rules Increase Uncertainty, Risk for Farmers