Nat’l Alert – Support Local Food [Senate Farm Bill]

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Tell Your Senators to Change the Farm Bill

Support Local Food

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Senator John Boozman has released his version of the Farm Bill; the committee will start working on a final version next week. 

There are a number of measures that weren’t in the draft Senate Farm bill, including the PRIME Act pilot program that was part of the House Farm Bill (HB ); five issues especially need to be addressed. The PRIME Act pilot program allows the interstate sale of meat by the cut processed in a limited number of custom facilities in each state over the life of the program. The Senate draft also leaves out Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (M-COOL) requirements for beef and fails to stop USDA’s imposition of costly and ineffective animal traceability mandates that benefit international corporations and burden farmers and ranchers. The Senate Farm Bill also needs to overturn the disastrous recent Supreme Court decision that gave pesticide manufacturers protection from liability for injuries their products cause.

ACTION TO TAKE

Call your two U.S. Senators today and ask them to support amendments that strengthen local food, not industrial food. See Talking Points below to raise specific issues.

Click here to find your Senators by state; their office phone number also shows so you can dial them directly. Or you can call the Capitol switchboard(202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator’s office.

TALKING POINTS – Five issues you can raise; bring up any or all of them:

1. The PRIME Act Pilot Program. The current lack of local slaughterhouse infrastructure hurts consumer freedom of choice and the ability of small farmers and ranchers to access the facility that will process their meat. The pilot program is a significant step in strengthening local slaughterhouse infrastructure in the U.S. [see 5/23/2024 Action Alert about Sec. 12114 in the House Farm Bill]

2. The LOCAL Foods Act will improve consumer access to local meat and increase the ability of farmers not to get caught up in local slaughter house bottlenecks Inclusion of the “Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local Foods Act” would allow the designated agent of the owner of a partial or whole animal to assist in the on-farm slaughter and processing of the animal. [The text of S. 5106 from 2024 could be added to the Senate Farm Bill; see 10/3/2024 Alert]

3. Restore Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling laws for beef (M-COOL). Consumers should have a right to know what country their beef comes from. This is a requirement for nearly all other foods. [see 11/15/2004 Alert opposing COOL becoming voluntary instead] 

4. Prohibit Mandatory Electronic ID for Cattle in Interstate Commerce. The evidence is that mandatory electronic ID for cattle does not improve traceability over the traditional metal ID tags. It is a costly, unnecessary expense for ranchers and farmers. [see 4/22/2024 Alert about Electronic Animal ID]

5. Eliminate Liability Shield for Pesticide Manufacturers. A provision is needed in the Farm Bill to overturn the recent Supreme Court decision in Monsanto Co. v. Dornell. Someone injured by a product should have a right to sue the product’s manufacturer to recover damages for injuries. Pesticide companies will have much less incentive to produce a safe product if the Supreme Court decision stands; it will be a disaster for public health similar to what has happened to the vaccine industry with the immunity vaccine manufacturers have had for the last forty years. [The Supreme Court reversed the successful stripping of the shield from the Farm Bill under Title X (Sec. 10205-10207–see 3/2/2026 Alert)]  

LINKS

2026 Farm Bill, Senate version- 

https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/agricultural-act-of-2026-farm-bill-20`

Contact Your Senators –

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

5/23/2024 Alert – PRIME Act Pilot Program [Sec. 12114] – 

Nat’l Alert – 2024 Farm Bill with Custom Slaughter Pilot Program to Support Local Meat

10/3/2024 Alert - LOCAL Foods Act - https://www.westonaprice.org/call-to-action-support-the-local-foods-act/#gsc.tab=0 

text S. 5106 (2024) – https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/5106/text/is

11/15/2024 Alert – Country of Origin Labeling –  

Action Needed to Protect Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)!

4/22/24 Alert – Electronic Animal ID –  

Nat’l Alert – Congress Must Stop Electronic Animal ID Mandate

3/2/2026 Alert – Pesticide Liability Shield – 

https://www.westonaprice.org/urgent-natl-alert-stop-liability-shield-keep-big-ag-accountable-farm-bill-hr7567-house-ag-cmte-3-3-26/#gsc.tab=0

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