Back in March we rounded up a lot of the issues in food and agriculture policy that we thought were relevant and we found it was a great way to gather our thoughts around food policy and make things a little more “digestible.” We did it again in April and May, and now we’re back with some midsummer updates.

Biden’s Infrastructure Bill must focus more on climate

Climate activists and their Democratic allies in Congress are pressing with renewed urgency for huge investments to slow climate change, after bipartisan compromise has led to an infrastructure plan missing many of President Biden’s key climate initiatives. A larger package in development in Congress that would only require Democratic support hopes to meet Biden’s promise to move the country toward carbon-free electricity, make America a global leader in electric vehicles and create millions of jobs in solar, wind and other clean- energy industries. But passage of this larger, multitrillion-dollar bill could face significant hurdles, even if Democrats use a procedural method that requires only a simple majority because moderate Democrats would need to support such a costly bill. But this is not something that we can risk when it comes to climate change. A less expensive package that does not fully address climate change is not something that many liberal Democrats will support, and goes back on many of the campaign promises of Joe Biden. Read more.

Europe: Common Farm Policy in the EU

Negotiators in the EU struck a deal on reforms to the bloc's huge farming subsidy program, after 3 years of negotiations. The deal introduces new measures aimed at protecting small farms and curbing agriculture's environmental impact in Europe. The deal decides the future of EU Common Agricultural Policy and includes spending 387 billion euros on payments to farmers and support for rural development. The agreement aims to shift money from intensive farming practices to environmental protections, and rein in the 10% of EU greenhouse gases emitted by agriculture. "In future, agriculture will not just ensure that farmers have a viable business, that we have a fair price for consumers, but it will also contribute to a greener Europe," said Portuguese agriculture minister Maria do Ceu Antunes. Read more.

Black Farmers Continue to Fight for Debt Relief Payments

As part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, a debt relief program for disadvantaged farmers was developed, and from the moment the USDA launched the program it has faced assault in the courts. Approximately $4 billion in the American Rescue Plan was slated to go to disadvantaged farmers, primarily for debt relief, but also for grants, training and education. On Wednesday, BIPOC farmers were dealt a legal blow when a Florida federal court issued a halt to the key part of the federal stimulus relief package that forgave agricultural debts to BIPOC farmers. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard halted loan forgiveness payments and debt relief for disadvantaged farmers anywhere in the US. The lawsuit was filed by White farmer Scott Wynn of Jennings, Fla., who also has farm loans and has faced financial hardship during the pandemic. He said the debt relief program discriminates against him by race. The program was already temporarily on hold, due to a separate restraining order in a case by a White farmer in Wisconsin. Even if that Wisconsin order is reconsidered or even reversed in July, when a ruling is expected, this new nationwide injunction would still keep the program on hold for some time. Read more. Also read more about hopes from activists for more than just debt relief.

California Adopts Free Lunch for All Program Permanently

For many kids, school is more than just a place to learn, it’s also a place where they get food they would otherwise go without. Before the pandemic, over 3.6 million students in California — nearly 60% of all students in the state — qualified for free or reduced price meals at school. In the recently adopted state budget, all public school students in California will receive free breakfast and lunch, no questions asked. Language barriers and immigration status may have prevented children who were already eligible to receive free meals from enrolling — by making free food available to every child, the stigma of receiving free meals goes away. Read more.

Oregon Farmworker Dies in Heatwave, spurs OSHA investigation

A man who had just come to the U.S. from Guatemala a few months ago died in last week’s heat wave in Oregon. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is starting an investigation to determine whether workplace health and safety standards were violated. Right now, the state has general workplace rules regarding heat but due to the historic temperatures and changing climate, the Oregon Health Authority is drafting more specific workplace rules aimed at preventing heat illness. Read more.

Colorado Farmworker Bill Expands Rights for Ag Workers

Dating back to the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 1938, farmworkers have been excluded from standard labor laws. Farmworkers were generally Black, and because of racism, were excluded from labor protections. To this day, despite long hours of manual labor with exposure to extreme hazards such as heavy machinery, pesticides, and heat stress, all to provide food for Americans, many farmworkers continue to have fewer rights than the general working population. The new Agricultural Workers’ Rights law in Colorado ensures many of those basic rights in order to improve Colorado farmworkers’ working and living conditions. Read more.

Have an issue that you’d like us to cover in our next policy roundup? Email us at GroundedGrub@gmail.com.

July 2021 Policy Updates