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By Trevor Findley, OFRF Senior Coverage Affiliate
The Natural Farming Analysis Basis (OFRF) had a busy 12 months advocating for insurance policies that profit natural farmers. The next are excerpts from a number of coverage articles that spotlight the breadth of points that OFRF labored on this 12 months. They reveal the progress we’ve made, the relationships we’ve established, and ongoing work advancing OFRF’s mission to foster the advance and widespread adoption of natural farming techniques.
1. OFRF Attends USDA Briefing with Underneath Secretary Moffitt and Rep. Panetta
In October, OFRF attended a USDA press briefing with USDA Underneath Secretary for Advertising and Regulatory Packages Jenny Lester Moffitt and Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20). The occasion mentioned two federal pandemic help packages, the USDA’s Pandemic Response and Security Grant and the Farm and Meals Employee Aid Grant, which whole over $1 billion for affected staff and companies.
2. OFRF Asks Congress to Improve Funding for Natural Analysis
All through Congressional funds reconciliation discussions, the OFRF coverage workforce has labored with each the Home and Senate to advocate for extra federally funded natural agriculture analysis. At present, the Home-passed model of the invoice is unlikely to maneuver ahead within the Senate, however President Biden has dedicated to persevering with his efforts to cross a invoice within the new 12 months. As Congress continues its discussions, OFRF will proceed to work with members of the Home and Senate to help a rise in funding for the Natural Agriculture Analysis and Extension Initiative (OREI) and different agricultural analysis investments. OREI funds analysis, schooling, and extension packages that assist natural producers and processors to develop and market natural merchandise.
In August, OFRF and its advisors met with natural farmer and the then newly-confirmed USDA Underneath Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt and Senior Advisor Mike Schimdt to debate the division’s plans to assist producers transition to natural manufacturing. USDA Secretary Vilsack has beforehand introduced that the division will spend a pair hundred million {dollars} to assist farmers and ranchers transition to natural. Given OFRF’s analysis focus and in-depth evaluation within the Nationwide Natural Analysis Agenda, OFRF was well-equipped to offer the division with the next suggestions that can assist producers transition to natural farming:
4. OFRF Excursions USDA Agricultural Analysis Service, Rep. Jimmy Panetta to Co-Sponsor ARA
Additionally in August, OFRF hosted Consultant Jimmy Panetta’s (CA-20) congressional staffers on the USDA Agricultural Analysis Service (ARS) in Salinas, Calif. The location go to centered on the significance of elevated funding in natural analysis and was instrumental in Rep. Panetta’s determination to co-sponsor the Agricultural Resilience Act (ARA).
OFRF organized the tour of the natural fields on the ARS led by Dr. Eric Brennan, USDA Analysis Horticulturist and the ARS’ solely devoted natural researcher within the nation. California natural farmers in attendance shared their firsthand expertise in making use of natural analysis to their farming practices, together with composting and canopy cropping. Attendees emphasised the significance of investing extra analysis {dollars} to natural farming practices on the Salinas facility and different ARS places.
Rep. Panetta’s determination to co-sponsor the ARA was knowledgeable by his cautious evaluate of the invoice textual content in addition to the work and schooling supplied by OFRF.
5. OFRF Workers Participates in Digital Fly-In to Ask Congress to Bolster Natural
In July, OFRF participated within the Natural Commerce Affiliation’s (OTA) digital fly-in, the place natural supporters requested members of Congress to help a invoice to extend accountability in natural requirements.
The invoice proposed by OTA, HR 2918 – Steady Enchancment and Accountability in Natural Requirements Act, would require USDA to do three issues: (1) clear the backlog of suggestions from the NOSB that haven’t been applied, (2) difficulty a remaining rule to implement all new suggestions inside one 12 months of the NOSB approving the advice, and (3) report back to Congress on an annual foundation whether or not certifiers have applied the brand new guidelines and whether or not any inconsistencies exist.
6. The Agriculture Resilience Act – Good for the Local weather, Good for Natural
OFRF, together with many different teams, endorsed the introduction of the Agriculture Resilience Act of 2021 (ARA) when the invoice was launched in April by Consultant Chellie Pingree (D-ME), herself an natural farmer, and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
The ARA is a farmer-focused, research-driven path to web zero agriculture. The laws establishes formidable but achievable targets for the agriculture sector to achieve web zero by 2040. The invoice improves and expands upon many present packages whereas creating a number of new grant packages to help its six programmatic constructing blocks:
- Growing investments in agricultural analysis
- Bettering soil well being
- Supporting the transition to pasture-based livestock
- Guaranteeing farmland preservation and viability
- Selling on-farm renewable vitality
- Lowering meals waste
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