President Joe Biden believes agriculture has an important role to play in addressing climate change. When signing the climate change executive order, Biden said, “We see farmers making American agriculture first in the world to achieve net-zero emissions and gaining new sources of income in the process.”
The executive order stated: “America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners have an important role to play in combating the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by sequestering carbon in soils, grasses, trees, and other vegetation and sourcing sustainable bioproducts and fuels.”
It directs USDA to “collect input from farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders on how to use federal programs to encourage adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices that produce verifiable carbon reductions and sequestrations and create new sources of income and jobs for rural Americans.”
USDA photo by Alice Welch
Chickens are carried through the Holmes poultry slaughterhouse in Nixon, Texas on mechanical arms. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors are on site to ensure the chicken is processed in accordance with regulations. Chicken industry hopeful three decades of work will prevail in helping improve food safety efforts.
As part of its regulatory freeze to evaluate the previous administration’s action, the Biden administration issued a temporary freeze on a rule dictating allowable poultry slaughter line speed increases. The rule in question allows establishments to increase line speeds from 140 birds per minute up to 175 bpm.
Small Ranchers, Big Problems Jan 25, 2021
Some farmers are pushing for a bill that would allow states to set their own regulations for the retail sale of meat. It has failed to pass Congress five times. Some states have a shortage of meat processors that are USDA-inspected, limiting how much livestock farmers can raise. Photography courtesy of Grace Pond Farm
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When Rhiannon Hampson’s dairy herd births a male calf, she jumps on the phone that week to schedule its slaughter two years away. She crosses her fingers that the date she books will work or she’ll be able to trade with another farmer for the eight-hour round trip to the USDA-certified processing facility, one of only five in Maine.
Before leaving town, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced the appointment of 67 members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees. A complete list of committee members are available at fas.usda.gov/atacs and includes a who’s who of influential voices from commodity groups to agribusinesses.
The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee is comprised of senior representatives from across the U.S. agricultural community who provide advice to USDA and USTR on trade policy matters including the operation of existing trade agreements and the negotiation of new agreements. Members of the six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees provide technical advice and guidance from the perspective of their specific product sectors. This group of appointed advisors will serve until 2025.
An Achievable Dream Announces New Board Members
Share Article NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (PRWEB) December 28, 2020 An Achievable Dream (AAD) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new board members, Keira Lombardo of Smithfield Foods, Inc., William T. Morrison of TowneBank, and Doug Lutz of Capital Group.
“Our Boards of Directors are comprised of dedicated community leaders who are committed to the mission and vision of An Achievable Dream as we work to bring equitable opportunities to students in traditionally under-served communities in Virginia,” said Dr. Lee Vreeland, AAD President and CEO. “We are excited to welcome Keira, Will, and Doug to our board and we are grateful for their expertise and passion for this work.”