Contact: Mike Lavender

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net 

Tel. 734.417.8710

Release: Congress Sends Reconciliation Bill to President’s Desk, Cannibalizing American Food and Farm System

Washington, DC, July 3, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, following the House of Representatives’ 218-214 approval of the Senate’s budget reconciliation legislation. The House vote sends the legislation to the President’s desk, where it will be signed into law.

“We don’t need to wait for history to accurately judge this legislation. The bill’s vision for America is one where it’s ok to spite your neighbor if it puts you ahead. The passage of this bill is the moment when elected officials decided that taking food off the plate of hungry children, seniors, and veterans was an acceptable price to pay to further increase farm subsidies to the largest, wealthiest farmers, while programs that support the vast majority of farmers and rural communities are left to languish. Make no mistake, a vote for this bill was not a vote for all of our country’s farmers or the communities they call home – it’s a vote to further enrich the wealthiest few and abandon everyone else.

Every day NSAC works toward a future where farmers, workers, and communities sustain a thriving food and farm system that nourishes people, stewards our environment, and builds dynamic economies. This bill is a monumental setback on the journey toward that vision — but today, NSAC is more determined than ever to keep fighting for it.”

The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) has, in some ways, changed substantially from the initial versions. However, the farm provisions of the bill have been relatively unchanged and closely resemble those in the original House-passed budget reconciliation bill. The following are select provisions of the final budget reconciliation bill based on NSAC’s initial analysis:

• Slashes hundreds of billions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), exacerbating hunger and shifting the financial burden of implementing a federal nutrition benefit to states.
• Dramatically raises subsidies for commodity production, including a 10 to 20 percent increase to Price Loss Coverage program reference prices and a bump to revenue guarantees under the Agriculture Risk Coverage program, increasing payments to a small number of American farmers while leaving the vast majority of growers without updated help.
• Eviscerates existing payment limits and Adjusted Gross Income means tests through exemptions and adjustments for inflation, opening the gates to more taxpayer subsidies for millionaires and absentee landowners.
• Undermines Congress’s ability to pass a full, fair farm bill under normal order that would serve the diversity of American agriculture and food systems.

While the bill overall will do untold harm, we note two small positive provisions that reflect opportunities to build on in the future: 

• Rescinds unobligated Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds for the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, building them into the farm bill baseline. However, the rescission of IRA conservation funding and the increase of farm bill conservation funding removes targeting for popular practices that help farmers deal with the impacts of climate change, including increasingly unpredictable and disruptive weather events.
• Reauthorizes and provides funding for some “stranded” farm bill programs, including Scholarships for 1890s, National Organic Cost-Share, and the Organic Production and Market Data Initiative.

Stay tuned to the NSAC blog for a deep-dive analysis during the week of July 7.

The post Release: Congress Sends Reconciliation Bill to President’s Desk, Cannibalizing American Food and Farm System appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Contact: Mike Lavender

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net 

Tel. 734.417.8710

Comment: NSAC Laments Senate’s Passage of Budget Reconciliation 

Washington, DC, July 1, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, following the Senate’s 51-50 approval – with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the deciding vote – of its version of budget reconciliation legislation.

“NSAC is deeply disappointed that the Senate has voted to approve a reconciliation bill that ignores the needs of the vast majority of American farmers and the communities they call home while providing billions for programs that only benefit a select few, all at the expense of programs that support nutrition access for hungry people. By excluding farm loans, rural development, new market opportunities, research, and more, the Senate bill chooses to take a narrow view of agriculture. We applaud Senator Grassley’s initiative in support of an ‘actively engaged’ amendment to ensure that commodity subsidies only go to farmers with ‘dirt under their fingernails.’ Unfortunately, the exclusion of this provision fits with the theme of the bill – small and mid-sized family farms and their communities are left to fend for themselves amidst an environment of uncertainty.”

Stay tuned to the NSAC blog for analysis soon on the final budget reconciliation bill.

The post Comment: NSAC Laments Senate’s Passage of Budget Reconciliation  appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Contact: Mike Lavender

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net 

Tel. 734.417.8710

Comment: NSAC Urges Senate to Support Grassley “Actively Engaged” Amendment

Washington, DC, June 30, 2025 –– The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in support of Amendment #2527 filed by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to include a meaningful and effective “actively engaged in farming” test to commodity program payments in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act. 

“Bipartisan consensus has long maintained that farm payments should be targeted to working farmers who need them, not non-farm investors, absent landholders, or recipients who act as pass-throughs. Senator Grassley’s amendment closes loopholes that perpetuate waste, fraud, and abuse; under current law, limitless individuals on any farm can receive annual commodity program payments up to $125,000, or double that limit for recipients with a spouse, including absent investors and distant family members who never step foot on the farm. This amendment applies reasonable work requirements as a condition of eligibility for taxpayer-funded farm program payments and limits the number of payments to one payment per farm. This simple solution is projected to save $5 billion. The amendment does not impact in any way the Adjusted Gross Income threshold that affects eligibility for conservation and disaster programs. It does apply to commodity programs, such as the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage Program (PLC), into which the OBBB injects an additional $67 billion. This amendment is key to targeting farm support to hard-working family farmers – not absent investors and corporate board members – while stewarding responsible taxpayer spending.” 

Language virtually identical to the Grassley amendment was approved in June 2018 when the Senate advanced the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill. A similar “actively engaged” provision also passed in the House of Representatives that year. Despite this overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support, the provision was stripped in conference, contrary to the rules.

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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 and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net

The post Comment: NSAC Urges Senate to Support Grassley “Actively Engaged” Amendment appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Comment: NSAC Responds to “First Tranche” Release of Popular Conservation Funding

Washington, DC, February 21, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to USDA’s announcement that it would release a fraction of paused conservation investments.

“While USDA fires its staff and deliberates whether or not to honor its own legal contracts, tens of thousands of farmers are being left in limbo. The ‘first tranche’ released this week represents roughly one percent of the IRA funding USDA guaranteed farmers through signed contracts from CSP and EQIP alone beginning in FY2023 – meaning that from coast to coast, countless farmers are waking up today still uncertain of how they’ll make ends meet or whether USDA will honor its word. We urge USDA to urgently provide specificity and clarity for how it will release frozen funds, fully reopen conservation program enrollment, and swiftly honor its legal obligations to farmers and organizations by immediately releasing funding on all signed contracts.”

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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: https://sustainableagriculture.net/

The post Comment: NSAC Responds to “First Tranche” Release of Popular Conservation Funding appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: In Package to Avert Government Shutdown, Congress Picks Winners and Losers in Farm Country

Washington, DC, December 21, 2024 – On Friday evening, Congress approved the American Relief Act, 2025 to extend government funding through March 14, 2025, extend certain provisions of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and provide disaster relief for farmers hit hard by natural disasters during 2023 and 2024. The following is attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director:

“In approving the American Relief Act, Congress sent a clear message to farmers across the country – some of you matter, and some of you don’t. Negotiators managed to include $10 billion in economic aid for which only some farmers are eligible, but agreed to exclude a permanent, generational investment in conservation programs – programs which build productivity, sustainability, and resilience, and for which all farmers are eligible. The $10 billion in economic aid comes in addition to billions worth of subsidies already provided through the commodity and crop insurance programs, which won’t be taken into account when determining the new economic aid payments.

Negotiators also stripped important, bipartisan negotiated provisions of the farm bill extension in the final deal, including the loss of roughly $177 million in funding for USDA’s so-called “orphan” programs. These programs have small price tags but big impacts across all fifty states, from improving farm system efficiency, increasing farmers’ and ranchers’ resilience to extreme weather, supporting young farmers, and growing market access. They will now face ceased operations as their funds run dry.

The only bright spot in this otherwise disappointing outcome, is the inclusion of revenue-based disaster relief assistance for producers. We look forward to working alongside USDA to implement these resources to ensure accessibility and responsiveness to the diverse recovery needs of all farmers, including those in the southeastern US hard hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Quick work in 2025 is now even more critical. Amidst a new Congress and new Administration, Congress must get to work on a new farm bill that recoups the conservation investment left on the table by this deal, funds the “orphan” programs, and is rooted in policies that meet the needs of all farmers.”

The post Comment: In Package to Avert Government Shutdown, Congress Picks Winners and Losers in Farm Country appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: Partisan House Deal Falls Short of Meeting Farmers’ Needs

Washington, DC, December 19, 2024 – On Thursday afternoon, reporting indicated that House Republicans had reached a partisan internal agreement on a deal to fund the government that includes disaster relief and a “clean” farm bill extension but lacks other key priorities. The following is attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director:

“A farm bill extension without full funding for programs lacking permanent baseline is absolutely unacceptable. These “orphan” programs have small price tags but big impacts across all fifty states, from improving farm system efficiency, increasing farmers’ and ranchers’ resilience to extreme weather, supporting young farmers, and growing market access. Without guaranteed funding, these programs’ vital work will freeze, setting back years of advancement in agricultural research, rural support, and conservation efforts. Funding for these programs was included with bipartisan support in the prior deal just days ago.

Not only does this deal fail to fund these vital programs, it would yet again reject the generational opportunity to improve the futures of farm families nationwide by bringing conservation investments from the Inflation Reduction Act into the farm bill baseline. This deal falls well short of meeting the needs of NSAC members and countless other farmers, ranchers, and food system stakeholders nationwide.”

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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

The post Comment: Partisan House Deal Falls Short of Meeting Farmers’ Needs appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Contact: Mike Lavender

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

mlavender@sustainableagriculture.net 

Tel. 734.417.8710

Comment: NSAC Applauds USDA Investments to Improve Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Washington, DC, July 12, 2023 – In response to USDA’s release today on investments the agency is making in improving the measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emissions, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Cathy Day, NSAC Climate Policy Coordinator. 

“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds USDA’s commitment of funds to improve the tracking and analysis of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. As the agency increasingly focuses on implementing incentive-based support for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, effective measurement becomes ever more vital. Our understanding of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture has developed substantially over the past decades, but remains inadequate for fully understanding the best paths toward greenhouse gas reductions in agriculture. The $300 million USDA is investing in developing measurement systems will be key to expanding our understanding of how crop and livestock systems can best be improved to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions to far below their current levels, and perhaps even to make agriculture a system with potential for net greenhouse gas sequestration.”

“Addressing climate change is a central goal of NSAC in this Farm Bill. As a part of that goal,  NSAC believes that federal conservation programs must address the current challenges of agriculture holistically to ensure that biodiversity loss and related challenges are addressed at the same time as the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The money spent on measurement will be important to informing that path forward, but in its application to USDA programs should not be used in isolation from information on soil loss, water quality, air quality, species loss, and human health. Addressing all of the above holistically will be the only means of ensuring we do not replicate the environmental harm that results from our current food system.”

“NSAC looks forward to seeing the outcomes from the administration’s measurement of greenhouse gasses, and is eagerly following USDA’s comprehensive and holistic response to the conservation challenges of U.S. agriculture.”

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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 and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net

The post Comment: NSAC Applauds USDA Investments to Improve Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.