{"id":59159,"date":"2024-09-05T08:05:15","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T12:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/?p=59159"},"modified":"2024-09-05T11:56:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T15:56:53","slug":"path-to-a-new-farm-bill-increasing-access-and-affordability-in-local-food-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/path-to-a-new-farm-bill-increasing-access-and-affordability-in-local-food-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"Path to a New Farm Bill: Increasing Access and Affordability in Local Food Systems"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Martin Rodriguez sells at Corona Farmers Market in Queens | Photo credit USDA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Editor\u2019s Note: This post is part of a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees\u2019 proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber\u2019s bill would address a given challenge, and our recommended path forward. Additional posts explore how the next farm bill can tackle issues in meat processing, crop insurance, organic and sustainable agriculture research, and more.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Seventeen million households across the United States – or one in eight – experienced food insecurity in 2022. The farm bill is the piece of federal legislation that provides a critical lifeline for seniors, individuals, and families who cannot readily access the food they need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has a longstanding history of advocating<\/a> for win-win programs and initiatives<\/a> that allow families to utilize their federal nutrition benefits in direct marketing settings, like farmers\u2019 markets and farm stands, while simultaneously generating revenue for small, beginning, and local farmers<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Congress relied on these initiatives to reach vulnerable communities everywhere by increasing the financial benefit for families, providing flexibility in program delivery, and funneling excess agricultural products into emergency feeding services. These decisions paid off. Food insecurity rates decreased while programs were in full effect. But as additional benefits and programs expired in 2022, food insecurity increased again<\/a> to a level higher than any previous single year since the Great Recession in 2008. These rates have continued to climb in 2023 and are signaling significant food affordability issues<\/a> for families.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: USDA <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As Congress is in the middle of reauthorizing the farm bill, they have an opportunity to ensure programs have sufficient funding to meet the growing needs among families and ensure accessible market opportunities for farmers. Current proposals in both the House and Senate attempt to address this issue to varying degrees. While both offer funding increases, only the Senate includes solutions to eliminate persistent barriers to participation and offers sustainable approaches for local food system development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senate\u2019s proposal<\/a> addresses food access and affordability<\/strong> in a number of ways that provide autonomy to households and increase spending with small farmers and local markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n