Legislation

DAIRY
NEFU supports a comprehensive dairy program that allows producers to receive a profitable return on their investment. New England’s dairy producers are facing a crisis with an inadequate safety net, increasing imports, illegal and unregulated dairy product processing and inadequate marketing structures. NEFU is working with NFU staff in Washington to address the systemic problems that have plagued this industry for years.

FOOD SAFETY
New England’s family farmers and fishermen produce and catch the safest, most-abundant food supply in the world. New England Farmers Union believes it is imperative that we maintain the high quality of our food supply by ensuring high standards for production, processing and transportation.

National Farmers Union has asked New England Farmers Union to help draft recommendations for food safety legislation that is moving through Congress. NFU priorities for this legislation are:

• FDA coordination with USDA where farms are concerned.
• Exemption from the $500 facility fee for on-farm, small processing, or a sliding fee scale based on size of facility.
• Increased focus on inspection of imported food.
• Consideration of real evidence of food safety risk before altering farmers’ environmental practices.
• New regulatory body/single food safety agency.
• Food safety outreach/education to farmers.
• Consideration of conflicts with existing organic standards.

NFU supports mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for agricultural products. COOL is a valuable marketing tool for producers and it allows consumers to know where their food is produced. Producers have the right to know where their food comes from.

CONSERVATION
New England Farmers Union urges continuation of the conservation programs established in the 2002 Farm Bill and encourages further investigation into new programs that benefit the environment, family farmers, fishermen, and forest owners in New England. By coupling the environmental needs of our farm lands and coastline with the socioeconomic goals of our region's communities, the new farm bill stands to reward stewardship, discourage speculative development of fragile land resources and strengthen family farming.

Rewarding family farmers, aquaculturists, and forest owners for making good environmental choices should be a top priority in farm policy, since society benefits from farmers who adapt farming practices that enhance water quality, wildlife habitat, energy conservation, bio-diversity and carbon sequestration.

RISK MANAGEMENT
Farmers and fishermen are at the mercy of the weather. Their work is the most risky of any in the food chain. When circumstances beyond their control wreak havoc on their ability to produce, NEFU and NFU are there to advocate for their assistance.

National Farmers Union supports the development and implementation of a permanent disaster program by the federal government. We believe that such a program should cover both shallow and catastrophic losses.

NFU encourages risk management tools that cover all commodities. Crop insurance and revenue coverage should never be considered a replacement for fair market prices and an adequate price support system. We support the continuation and improvement of the federal crop insurance program.

SPECIALITY CROPS
Speciality crops include fruits, vegetables, maple syrup, honey and seafood—products that are abundant in New England. So legislation in support of speciality crop producers is especially important to NEFU. NEFU and NFU have urged Congress to provide a safety net program to allow producers to earn cost of production plus a reasonable profit from the marketplace for specialty crops. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association and the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association are affiliate members of NEFU.

NEFU and NFU are working together to reach out to other speciality crop associations in New England to develop stronger federal policies for this important economic sector in New England.

CLIMATE CHANGE
New England’s agriculture producers, shellfishermen and forest owners can play a key role in combating global climate change. NEFU and NFU share a policy in support of a national, mandatory carbon emission cap and trade system to reduce nonfarm greenhouse gas emissions if the following conditions are met:

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is granted control and administration of the agriculture offset program;
• Early actors are recognized;
• No artificial cap is placed on domestic offsets;
• Carbon sequestration rates are based upon science; and
• Producers are permitted to stack environmental benefit credits.

Carbon sequestration projects on agricultural lands are the easiest and most readily available means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a meaningful scale. This past year, through the Farmers Union Carbon Credit Program, NFU became the largest aggregator of agriculture carbon credits on the voluntary Chicago Climate Exchange, providing nearly $9.5 million dollars to our farmers and ranchers for no-till, minimum till, grassland and rangeland practices that capture carbon.

New England Farmers Union plans to launch a New England Carbon Credit Program in 2009 with outreach to producers in six states coupled with negotiations with Chicago Climate Exchange about New England practices that should be eligible for carbon credits.

HEALTH CARE
America needs a national health care policy that addresses the difficulty and greater cost of providing health, education and social services in rural America. Often, qualified doctors, nurses, practitioners, and adequate facilities are scarce. All Americans, and New Englanders, deserve access to quality health coverage.

Many rural areas in New England rely on dedicated volunteers, serving as emergency medical technicians and firefighters. These volunteers should receive the funds they need to adequately do their jobs.

The availability of affordable prescription drugs to rural citizens is hampered and often forbidden by restrictions on the importation of quality, approved generic compounds. We support the ability of Americans to purchase prescription drugs from other countries.

FOOD AND NUTRITION
With obesity now at epidemic levels, it is important for all New Englanders, especially children, to receive adequate nutrition. The School Lunch Program and the Special Milk Program provide a valuable benefit to school-age children and should continue to receive full funding with an emphasis placed on using local, domestically-produced foods.

Buy fresh. Buy local. New England leads the country in direct marketing. Fisheries are joining farms in opening Community Supported Fisheries, and consumer demand for fresh, source verified, direct from the farm food is the fastest growing segment of the food business. With our dense population, New England is a powerful market for producers of local and regional food. And they are willing to pay for it. As a result, producers are now beginning to be price-makers, not price-takers.

A producer’s price is based upon quality and freshness; in turn, consumers and their families receive high quality, fresh products they want and can trust. Urban farmers markets and direct selling by farmers to consumers, retailers and restaurants are the direct results of the buy fresh, buy local movement sweeping the nation.

NEFU and NFU are working with other advocates for better child nutrition legislation and support for direct marketing activities.

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Links
Carbon Credits
National Farmers Union Policy
Legislative Action