C-FARE Info

Ranking Member Roberts and Chairwoman Stabenow: Public/Private Ag Research Partnership Needed to Meet Global Food Demand

On March 29, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) Chairwoman of the Committee, introduced legislation to establish a foundation to solicit private donations to enhance research for the most pressing challenge facing U.S. agriculture. The bill, The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), authorizes the establishment of a 501(c) 3, a non-profit organization, and includes provisions outlining the duties and structure of the foundation, including an appointed Board of Directors representing the diverse sectors of agriculture. It also requires annual financial audits and good governance procedures for increased accountability and transparency. This model serves as a useful tool to foster new public-private partnerships among the agricultural research community, including USDA research agencies, academia, private corporations, and non-profit organizations. There are precedents for congressionally mandated foundations across the federal government, including entities devoted to medical research, public health and safety and natural resource conservation. Some examples include: Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the National Forest Foundation. Text of the bill can be found here.

Information on FY2013 Agriculture Budget

Today the President released his FY 2013 Budget Proposal. Information on USDA can be viewed here - http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/agriculture.pdf. Language related to USDA AFRI: “Increases the 2012 funding level for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to $325 million and targets areas that are key to American scientific leadership: human nutrition and obesity reduction; food safety; sustainable bioenergy; global food security; and climate change.”

USDA relocating NASS analysts to regional centers

From the Hagstrom Report 2/6/2012 – “The Agriculture Department, the primary source of U.S. crop and livestock data, will move analysts from state offices into nine National Agricultural Statistics Service regional centers in an effort to provide more in-depth analysis while saving money, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture today, according to a Reuters report.

The centers, due to open in 2013, are the latest change in USDA reporting as the agency adjusts to federal budget cuts.

“We’re going to remain the gold standard,” said Vilsack in announcing the regional centers, according to the Reuters report.

The secretary said the move “will give us the opportunity to dive more deeply into data” and provide more accurate data.

Congress allotted $158.6 million for the National Agricultural Statistics Service this fiscal year, $7 million less than USDA requested but a 1 percent increase from the previous year, when funding was cut by 3 percent in an effort to reduce the federal deficit, Reuters said.

AGree Provides U.S. Farm Policy Programs Primer

AGree, an initiative designed to transform long-term agricultural, food and rural policy issues, has released a new report, “Review of U.S. Farm Programs,” that provides a comprehensive overview of federal farm programs (farm support, disaster assistance, insurance, specialty crop and conservation programs), including historical background and information about the distribution of benefits. It is the first in a series of backgrounders the initiative is publishing to lay the groundwork for common understanding in discussions across diverse stakeholders on the future of food and agriculture policy. The report was authored by Stephanie Mercier, former chief economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee, and does not necessarily represent the views of AGree, the initiative said. AGree commissioned the report in an effort to provide context for discussions on the complex issue of U.S. farm support policy, a hot topic of the current debate on the federal agriculture budget and the Farm Bill. Beginning at the onset of farm support in America, the report covers how the U.S. arrived at its current policy nearly 80 years later, noting, “Policy makers have not moved very far from their original rationale, even though the structure and composition of U.S. agriculture has changed considerably.” AGree has also posted webcasts of Mercier presenting a PowerPoint slide summary of the report and a PowerPoint slide overview of federal agriculture spending. The report and webcasts can be found on AGree’s website at: http://www.foodandagpolicy.org/policy/introduction.

House Ag Subcommittee Examines Research Programs

Today, Congressman Timothy Johnson (IL-15), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture, held an audit hearing to examine U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research programs. This is the ninth hearing in the audit series that is designed to provide members of the committee with a greater understanding of farm policy. According to the Committee press release, “Research programs are vital to enhancing agricultural productivity, decreasing input costs, and ensuring American consumers continue to enjoy a safe, abundant, affordable, and nutritious food supply.” Witnesses included: Dr. Edward B. Knipling, Administrator, Agricultural Research Service, Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Cynthia Clark, Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, and Dr. Laurian Unnevehr, Acting Administrator, Economic Research Service For witness statements or other information visit the Committee Website.

House Agriculture Subcommittee Examines Farm Loan Programs During Audit Hearing

On July 14, 2011 Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Credit, held a hearing to examine the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency's (FSA) loan programs. The audit hearing was a part of the House Agriculture Committee's ongoing effort to provide oversight of current spending to ensure that programs are being delivered effectively while minimizing waste, fraud, abuse, and duplication. This is the fifth audit hearing in the series. To view witness testimony and other information visit the Committee Website here.

House Ag Subcommittee Examines Trade & Food Aid programs During Audit Hearing

On July 13, 2011 Congressman Timothy V. Johnson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture, held an audit hearing to examine trade, food aid and agricultural development programs operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This is the fourth hearing in the audit series that is designed to provide members of the committee with a greater understanding of farm policy. To view information from the Hearing, please visit the Committee Website.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittees Highlight Need for Increased American Natural Gas Production, Job Creation

On July 8, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry joined with the Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources to hold a joint hearing on "Challenges facing Domestic Oil and Gas Development: Review of Bureau of Land Management/U.S. Forest Service Ban on Horizontal Drilling on Federal Lands." According to the Press Release, “The panel heard from a number of experts regarding the U.S. Forest Service's proposed ban of horizontal drilling in the George Washington National Forest, as well as the Interior Departments' potential regulation of hydraulic fracturing on federal lands. Horizontal drilling provides significant benefits to resource development by reducing the footprint of oil and gas production and leaving surface areas of environmental concern undisturbed.” For more information click here.

US House and Senate Committees Advance Trade Bills

On July 7 the US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means held a non-markup of the three long-pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to relay the views of the Committee to the Administration before the trade agreements and implementing bills are formally submitted to Congress. Click here for details.

Also on July 7, the Senate Finance Committee Senate Finance Committee passed legislation to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and implement the South Korea, Colombia and Panama Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Click here for details.

Blog Posting from “The Hill’s Congress Blog" - Time to cut farm subsidies now

On July 7 Former Rep. James Bacchus and former Chairman of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization posted on The Hill’s Congress Blog about Farm Subsidies. Click here to view the blog.