Talking Dirt with Riley: Delivering Key Farm Bill Wins

This week we expect the Farm Bill to be marked up in the Senate for the first time in eight years. Our stake in the Farm Bill is crucial, as agriculture is the foundation of everything that the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry produces. From farm to manufacturer, our member companies rely on the harvests borne from the soil of this great nation. In the third installment of Talking Dirt with Riley, we’re digging into the industry priorities Consumer Brands secured in the Farm Bill proposals.

Consumer Brands successfully supported numerous key priorities for inclusion in the Farm Bill, and we’re working hard to ensure that these priorities are represented altogether in the final compromise product from both the House and Senate. Our advocacy focuses on provisions that will improve farmland conservation efforts, farmer technical assistance access and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) accessibility and set key research priorities in motion for the industry as we plan for the future. Many of these priorities are reflective of the CPG industry’s commitment to expanding the adoption of regenerative agriculture, improving nutrition access and guidance for families in need, supporting consumer transparency and confidence, and advancing food security and affordability by making sure our farms remain productive for many years to come.

The Farm Bill is divided into numerous “titles” that cover unique aspects of farm policy — every title has a purpose, and each of them make up the support framework that helps rural American towns, like my hometown, continue to thrive. In the Conservation Title, Consumer Brands supported farmland conservation efforts including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Improvement Act, the Increased TSP Access Act and the Streamlining Conservation Standards Act. Conservation programs are what keeps the working lands of rural America healthy and sustainable for years to come. Farmers are the frontline stewards of the lands they own, live and work on. The CPG industry has stepped up with major commitments to farmland conservation through individual regenerative agriculture commitments. By supporting reforms to key government conservation programs, our industry commitments are strengthened, and the “farm to fork” supply chain is even more secure than before.

In the Nutrition Title, the Farm Bill adopts both the Dietary Guidelines Reform Act and the SNAP Online Access Act. The Farm Bill has always been the place where rural and urban American interests meet to find common ground. That common ground is often found in the nutrition programs that feed our children and families in need of a helping hand. Millions of elderly Americans use the SNAP program every year, and for some seniors, getting to the grocery store isn’t always feasible. By making the SNAP Online Purchasing Program permanent, seniors will have a reliable, easy and accessible way to get their groceries delivered. In supporting changes to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which heavily influences school meals, we can provide long-term certainty that schools will feed our children nutritious meals.

In the Research Title, a key provision was added that establishes a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) to research the economic impact of the transition to natural colors, providing a non-partisan initiative aimed at giving CPG companies and consumers full transparency into what it will take for the industry to fulfill the voluntary commitments made to consumers.

In the Horticulture Title, Consumer Brands supported the inclusion of the Plant Biostimulant Act. This creates a government definition for “biostimulant,” a tool that optimizes plant nutrient intake, increasing plant viability and survivability. The Act enables the companies producing this cutting-edge agricultural solution to accurately market their products so that farmers can have confidence in the tools they buy to support their crops. These tools are crucial to improving the production capabilities for farmers and help to support a reliable supply chain for the CPG industry.

While the Farm Bill is far from complete, we are encouraged by the policies included in both proposals and will continue our efforts to expand the farmer-manufacturer relationship.