On September 30, Congress let the 2018 Farm Bill extension expire. They now have until the end of the calendar year to pass a new Farm Bill during the lame duck session or extend the 2018 Farm Bill into the new Congress.
Without the enactment of a new Farm Bill or an extension of the current authority, Tribal communities and producers will lose access to critical authorities that build regional food economies; increase access to healthy, local, and traditional foods; and much more. The recent Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) crises have further demonstrated the need to authorize new tools for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) toolbox to provide immediate and long-term relief for Tribal members and elders who rely on USDA for food now and well into the future.
The NFBC will continue working with members of Congress to advocate for the timely passage of the next Farm Bill that includes meaningful Tribal provisions.
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Cole Miller and Intertribal Agriculture Council CEO Kari Jo Lawrence, co-chairs of the Native Farm Bill Coalition (NFBC), recently sent a letter to Congress on behalf of the NFBC urging the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture committees to pass a Farm Bill this year.
“Many Native communities rely on the Farm Bill to address the legacy of barriers to developing Indian Country’s agriculture sector. Our communities throughout Indian Country face challenges that are unique to lands under Tribal jurisdiction. Barriers like credit access, multi-agency approvals, and USDA programs regarding Tribal trust lands, including environmental assessments and cultural surveys, continue to hamper progress.”
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