Massachusetts Food System Collaborative的动态

This is a tough one. We appreciate our partners in the state agencies who are working hard to launch this LFPA program in Illinois, but we also have to speak up on behalf of the farmers who are not being paid, and not being told when they will be paid. It's not chump change — it's hundreds of thousands of dollars that we've told farmers they should be getting, but we have no clear idea of when. Farmers deserve better. They deserve to be paid and paid well for helping the state solve enormous problems like food scarcity, a lack of local food supply infrastructure, and inequities in access to nutrition. The money is there. We encourage our partners at the state to lean into this conversation and do whatever they can to get them paid, and rebuild the trust that is eroding, day by day by day. #regeneration #leadership

Food is rotting in Washington. The #Farm #Bill was due for renewal in 2018, but has met with countless delays and Washington attempts to score political wins, while public health continues to spiral. The latest stall tactic revikves around the #SNAP program, a subsidy for poor Americans to get access to healthy nutritious foods. The cost debate for the program amounts to a rounding error in the world of food economics. Apparently, politicians still aren’t aware of the public health crisis, or that food is at the center of it. The SNAP program offers credits to low income households to purchase fresh foods at farmers markets. Somehow this gets viewed as the same as providing money for them to buy beer and cigarettes! The Farm Bill is central to regenerating the food industry, starting at the farms, big and small. https://lnkd.in/emZTtY_p

?? House Ag Farm Bill Overview is Live ?? For all of our food policy advocates, GT Thompson released a 2024 Farm Bill overview this morning. You can find the full overview here: https://lnkd.in/eZzgsP4f Below is the full Nutrition Title excerpt: "Title IV: Nutrition. Supports access to families formerly disallowed to receive benefits, refocuses work programs to support upward mobility, invests in and modernizes food distribution programs to create parity with urban programming, promotes program integrity and State accountability, and advances policies related to healthy eating, healthy behaviors, and healthy outcomes. ? Provides additional financial resources across multiple programs that have successfully benefited tribal communities, seniors, and households pursuing healthier options. ?Offers significant opportunities for individuals to remain on their current career pathways without choosing between SNAP and employment. ?Creates new access for participants either formerly disallowed or beholden to arcane restriction. ? Corrects egregious Executive branch overreach and disallows future unelected bureaucrats from arbitrarily increasing or decimating SNAP benefits. ?Creates a stronger, more sustainable connection between health and federal feeding programs. ?Holds USDA and States accountable to the generosity of the American taxpayer." I'm frustrated but not surprised to see the obvious SNAP call out. Curious to see the organizations' responses to this initial overview ahead of the expected Senate outline later today ?? And especially looking forward to hearing Helena Bottemiller Evich's thoughts in the next Food Fix newsletter! #FarmBill #FoodPolicy #AgPolicy #LegislativeUpdate #policy #Foodsystems #hunger #nutrition

Although we know huge corporations always infuence policy, it is difficult to comprehend the breadth and width of the its reach into the food that nourishes our children, community and future. More reason to support and work with determined local food policy councils and food/agriculture justice.

Personal interaction with consumers can help change their mind about production agriculture. The problem is there are not enough farmers/ranchers to have the personal interaction. So how do we change the minds of consumers who are on the fence about agriculture production? I think we still must have the interactions when we can with individuals but also invite consumer groups and their influencers to a farm/ranch near them.

When I was a newbie to the #antihunger community, I could not understand why everyone was so focused on the #FarmBill - how did something with that name impact New York City? I quickly learned just how many #food and #agriculture programs were governed by the #FarmBill, with the largest being #SNAP - the first line of defense against #hunger, that helps connect families with #meals and allows funds to be reinvested in local communities. As Congress works towards a reauthorization of the #FarmBill, the House has proposed a bill that many would describe as cruel, which would roll back $30B in #SNAP benefits over the next 10 years. With #hunger on the rise, we need ALL levels of government to support programs that put #food on the table - not take it off. As the House Agriculture Committee moved this proposal forward last week, I had the opportunity to speak to Spectrum News on what was at stake for New Yorkers in this proposal and why we need New York's congressional delegation to support a bipartisan #FarmBill that strengthens #SNAP and other programs. https://lnkd.in/equBzHrY

Farm Bill action coming up: The House Committee on Agriculture’s markup of the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024” will take place Thursday, May 23rd, at 11 am EST. See comments for link to watch live, and for the draft text that will be marked up. (Definition below, marked up, accessed at Congress.gov’s glossary) As proposed, the House bill text leaves much to be desired: *Freezes the value of the Thrifty Food Plan, upon which the value of SNAP benefits is determined; this means future inability to adjust the value of SNAP, translating to future cuts *Appears to use funding (about $30 Billion) that would otherwise go to SNAP^ to be used elsewhere in the Farm Bill *Attempts to allow states to outsource/privatize portions of the administration of SNAP benefits *Cuts Summer EBT, Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Last week's Budget heralded one of the biggest changes for farming we have seen in generations. Chancellor Rachel Reeves' announcement left farmers across the country facing a very different future from the one they had planned. In the past week we have witnessed an outpouring of concern over the Budget and have had unprecedented numbers of farmers contacting us worried about the future of their businesses and what will be left for the next generation. As a publication which has stood shoulder to shoulder with farmers for 180 years, we are committed to taking action and have this week launched a new campaign, ‘Save Britain's Family Farms' to make farmers’ voices heard. This endeavour, fuelled by real stories of families passionate about both their heritage and building a sustainable future, will ensure our industry's presence is felt. What the debate around the Budget has highlighted, alongside the power of a united farming community, is a worrying disconnect between Government and the industry responsible for its food security. Despite the protestations we have heard this week from both Defra Secretary Steve Reed and Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner, the lack of understanding not only threatens the viability of family businesses, but also the Government's own ambitions on health and the environment. #SaveBritainsFamilyFarms gives a platform for the families at the heart of home-grown food production and, through powerful video testimonies and features, showcases what family farms deliver for the nation. Our campaign aims to move the conversation on from Inheritance Tax (IHT) to a broader debate about how we value our food systems. Family farms are responsible for producing much of the food we eat, but the inequity in supply chains means they shoulder most of the risk for little reward. Sadly, as we know all too well, most businesses are not profitable without support. It will also address the common misconception that assets equal wealth. Farmers Guardian very much supports the NFU (National Farmers' Union) call on the Government to raise the threshold on the value of assets in which IHT applies and we will stand alongside the farming community at the NFU's mass lobby of Parliament in Westminster on November 19. So JOIN US, pledge your support for the campaign, using #savebritainsfamilyfarms, and head to the campaign page here for more information. https://lnkd.in/eeqaY_sD

Britain's farmers and growers have been named as one of the public's most favoured and valued professions, second only to nurses, a new survey commissioned by the NFU (National Farmers' Union) can reveal 74 percent of the public have a favourable view of farmers and growers, recognising how hard they work through rain and shine, to produce food for the nation. https://lnkd.in/eC5_Dwx3

Our very own CAFF Policy Director, Jamie Fanous, joins our partners at the @nsac_sustainableag to provide some advice for you–yes, YOU, whoever you are–about how to be an affective advocate for the change you wanna see in our food and farming system, locally or across the country. For those looking to engage more deeply in food policy advocacy, Hackney and Fanous recommend tuning into social media platforms and newsletters from a mixture of national agricultural organizations, such as NSAC, and local ones, such as CAFF. Once you start following political and agricultural news, you may come across the occasional public request for citizens like yourself to contact local representatives in Congress to advocate for or against certain bills. “If organizations like CAFF or others ask—make the phone call. It makes a big difference,” says Fanous. “We very rarely ask people to make calls to their members, but when we do, it’s serious and we need that support. If you can’t make the call, repost the request on social media to give it more life.” Besides doing the research to elect officials who advocate on behalf of these priorities, the best thing we can do to support farmers year-round is to be just as conscientious about how we vote with our dollars. “Sign up for a CSA, go to the farmers market or co-op, purchase your produce from farmers directly. Go the extra mile to do that,” says Fanous. “If you’re going to a big box store, the produce is probably not from a small-scale farmer or a local farmer, so it’s really not supporting local economies. Joining a CSA program is a great way to build a relationship with your farmer and know where your food is coming from.” And don't forget to VOTE! ???? https://lnkd.in/gUnZeeMb