FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347.563.6408
RELEASE: House Appropriations Committee Adopts Three Significant Amendments to Advance Sustainable Agriculture
NSAC urges the passing of the full minibus of Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bills
Washington, D. C., July 29, 2022 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds the adoption of three additional amendments to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations bill on top of an already robust package that proposes increased funding for sustainable agriculture programs to address climate change and to build resiliency by investing in local and regional food systems.
On Tuesday the House voted to include the three amendments to the committee passed FY 2022 agriculture appropriations bill up for consideration this week as part of the seven-bill minibus: H.R. 4502, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2022.
“These additional amendments signify substantial wins for sustainable agriculture priorities,” said Eric Deeble, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Policy Director, adding that “NSAC applauds the House for advancing these investments which will play a major role in shaping our food and farm systems at this critical moment in time.”
These welcome amendments include increased funding for:
- USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) field staff through the Conservation Operations and Conservation Technical Assistance programs; Sponsored by Representative Spanberger (D-VA), Representative LaMalfa (R-CA), Representative Costa (D-CA), Representative Hayes (D-CT) and Representative Kuster (D-NH); increased by $5,257,000
- The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Program, sponsored by Representative Adams (D-NC); increased by $542,000
- The Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas Program, sponsored by Representative Kuster (D-NH) and Rep Davis (R-IL); increased by $500,000
Final passage is anticipated this week.
“NSAC encourages the House to vote in favor of the minibus to deliver much-needed support to farmers, researchers, and organizations,” said Deeble. “We hope the Senate will move forward with appropriations expeditiously to ensure that increased funding is made available to support sustainable agriculture research, address climate change solutions, and bolster local and rural food systems, as was done in the House,” Deeble added. “These investments are key to recovering from the pandemic’s impacts and building a resilient rural economy.”
For more detailed information about the FY2022 Appropriations visit NSAC’s Agriculture Appropriations Chart.
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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/
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