April 2023                                                                    Fair

Every 5 years or so, Congress develops a massive bill that lays the path forward for food and farm policy in the country: The Farm Bill.  This broad ranging legislation, covering everything from nutrition assistance to crop insurance, is in the works to be authorized in 2023 and will set the priorities and mandate for how money can be spent to ensure a stable food supply, sustain natural resources and keep nutrition programs like SNAP working.

But the Farm Bill is problematic. It has always prioritized conventional agricultural models, allocating only 1% for educational, renewable and regenerative solutions. And despite historical inequities in funding and land access, structural racism and racial equity has never been properly addressed.

Now is the time to engage and speak up for the food and farming landscape we’d like to see in the world!

SFUSA calls on Congress and the Biden/Harris Administration to ensure that the next Farm Bill:

• Effectively addresses food chain structural racism, inequity, exclusion, and injustice, with emphasis on engaging and supporting BIPOC producers.

• Ensures national food and nutrition security. 

• Helps local and regional, urban and rural, and Tribal farm and food economies thrive and ensures that the next generation of family-scale, urban and rural farmers and ranchers are successful. 

• Re-localizes our food chain and ensures fair markets, programs, and access for family-scale farmers and ranchers, focusing on BIPOC producers.

• Supports science and policies that serve small and mid-scale, family farmers and ranchers and ensures that they are central to climate-focused conservation and regenerative production.

Read below for some resources on the Farm Bill process, priorities being elevated by peer organizations, and ways to engage and show your support. The Slow Food USA website includes information on our local representatives who have a say in the Farm Bill. Let them know what your priorities are!

Here’s to continuing the work on the changes we need to make our food systems Good Clean and Fair For All,
The SFEB Team

The Native Farm Bill Coalition (NFBC) is a nationwide initiative to lift up the voices of Native American producers and Tribal governments to advance a common policy agenda. It works to ensure that Indian Country’s priorities are acknowledged and included in the decision making process for the next Farm Bill, from farming and ranching to nutrition programs, rural development and forestry. Since the Coalition’s launch in October 2017, more than 170 Tribes, Intertribal groups, other Native organizations, and non-Native allies have become members of the Native Farm Bill Coalition. 

RESOURCES

📰 Read

FLUSTERED BY THE FARM BILL? HERE ARE FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT IT
A shallow dive: “Here are five key concepts that will help clarify what the Farm Bill is and how it works.”

Civil Eats, The Deep Dish An insider look at food and farming from Civil Eats
And a deep dive: “We also know that the magnitude of the farm bill leaves a lot of people confused—and also maybe a bit checked-out. So, in our efforts to provide you with an accessible and useful road map, we dive right in this month with a handy explainer about this year’s bill.”

Berkeley Food Institute, Christina Badaracco: Advocating for a Citizen’s Farm Bill 
“...the foods that we recommend fill Americans plates get very, very little support through the Farm Bill and thus don’t have much of a chance to compete with subsidized commodities in the marketplace.”

🎧 Listen 

Ramadan, A Time To Fast, But Also A Time to Celebrate Food
With Ramadan being observed through April 20th this year, take a moment to hear from chef Reem Assil and other food leaders about how they work in food while fasting and feasting.

📅  UPCOMING EVENTS

Community Seder
Date: Thursday April 6th
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Join Bishulim SF and Pomella for a not-so-traditional Seder, complete with wines from Covenant. Limited space!

Slow Food East Bay Potluck 
RSVP here 
Date: Thursday April 13th
Time: 5:30 - 8:00pm
Location: West Berkeley (address to be shared upon RSVP)
We are partnering with Direct Action for Farmworkers for this month's gathering. Join us for an evening of community connection and conversation around issues and actions related to farmworker's rights, and of course a table of delicious food to share.  Speaking of - let's celebrate spring by centering Greens in your dish! Please share with friends who may have never heard of Slow Food before, we'd love to meet them!

An Evening of Slow Drinks
Date: Sunday April 16th
Time: 5:00-7:00pm
Location: Ramen Shop, Oakland
A cocktail focused gathering with Danny Childs of Slow Drinks at Ramen Shop in partnership with Bar Agricole. Conversation, light bites from No No Thai and a just-for-this-evening cocktail. Tickets on sale April 3rd, limited seats available!

As a reminder, you can find all the East Bay Food Systems events on the SFEB public events Google calendar. Make sure you subscribe! And If you want to submit a community event to be featured, please fill out this form.

🐌 CALL TO ACTION

ENDORSE the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s  2023 FARM BILL PLATFORM

With their 2023 Farm Bill Platform, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition envisions a more equitable and resilient food system. Drafted by their coalition of over 130 grassroots organizations (including some of SFEB’s local partners), this platform reflects urgent needs of farmers, ranchers, and communities across the country.  

By endorsing the platform, you join in advocating for a farm bill that will:

• Advance racial equity across the food system

  • Improve access to USDA funding and programs for farmers of color

  • Increase funding for programs and policies that support farmers of color

  • Strengthen data collection and analysis to inform racial equity-driven decision-making

• Build a climate-resilient future

  • Advance land stewardship through conservation program funding and access

  • Increase funding for sustainable and organic agriculture research programs

  • Prioritize research that helps farmers adapt to and mitigate climate change

• Invest in healthy rural and urban communities

  • Strengthen resilient local and regional food systems

  • Expand and enhance USDA procurement programs and practices

  • Rebuild local and regional meat processing capacity

  • Ensure access to locally-produced, nutritious, culturally-relevant food

• Level the playing field for small and mid-sized farms

  • Support beginning farmers in accessing land and capital

  • Fix the flawed farm safety net and improve access for diversified farms

  • Address corporate consolidation and restore fair competition 

Show Congress that thousands of families, farmers, and advocates across the country stand together in calling for a better food and farm future.