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NWA Hits Capitol Hill
Last week, NWA members, staff, and queens/coordinators spent time in the nation's capital, raising the voice of our industry, and making a lasting impression with members of congress, staffers and members of the greater produce industry as part of IFPA's Washington Conference. In light of this noteworthy advocacy push, we're dedicating this edition of The Weekly Rind to advocacy efforts- with Congress, regulatory bodies, and at the state level.
Last week's event was a huge success, with highlights including trainings with IFPA, a briefing with staff from the White House, meetings with members of Congress and their staff, and a promotion where the queens handed out watermelon samples to congressional staffers and members. The event was surely a memorable and impactful one for the members of our industry who were able to attend, and the representatives from Capitol Hill who got a taste of the watermelon industry, firsthand. Read moreSee it on Social: Watermelon Queens at The Washington ConferenceA picture is worth a thousand words… and if you want to see what was happening with the watermelon industry and our friends from across the produce industry in Washington, DC last week at IFPA's Washington Conference, the best way to catch up on the action might be on Facebook. We recommend checking out posts from the Queens via the pages for the National Watermelon Queen, Gulf Coast Watermelon Association, MarDel Watermelon Association, NC Watermelon Association, Texas Watermelon Queen, Georgia Watermelon Association. You can also get some highlights on LinkedIn via our Executive Director, George Szczepanski's page.
Checkoff Marker BillNWA has signed on to a letter in support of research and promotion "checkoff" programs, like the National Watermelon Promotion Board and others. The letter pushes back on an ammendment from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah to the Senate's Ag Appropriations Bill. Checkoffs are entirely funded and directed by those who pay assessments into them—in other words, producers themselves. As such, all checkoff expenses, including the salaries of USDA personnel overseeing them, are funded by the same receipts they generate. There are no taxpayer dollars used to implement checkoffs, and no appropriated dollars are used to oversee them pursuant to statute. For this reason, we are urging the Senate to reject this misguided amendment.
Farm Bill: More SCFBA Marker Bills
U.S. Specialty Crop Coalition Endorses Legislation Addressing Research, Nutrition and Trade. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a coalition of over 200 specialty crop organizations including the NWA, has endorsed three additional bills. These bills aim to boost funding for crop research, improve access to fresh produce for low-income individuals, and double funding for agricultural exports. The coalition emphasizes the importance of these policies in supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the specialty crop industry, which contributes significantly to the U.S. economy. These bills are among more than a dozen marker bills that the SCFBA has endorsed this Farm Bill cycle, which is more than typical and is indicative of strong support for specialty crops from our partners in the Congress.
Crop Protection Regulations: EPA Megasuit Resolved The EPA has resolved a long-running legal issue involving over 1,000 pesticide products. According to EPA's press release, this resolution allows the EPA to protect endangered species while still reviewing and approving pesticides safely. The legal challenge, referred to as the "megasuit," started in 2011 when two organizations, the Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network, claimed that the EPA broke the Endangered Species Act when registering certain pesticides. This agreement settles all the outstanding issues and aims to balance protecting wildlife and ensuring access to pesticides crucial for food production.
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