Land Core submits letter to USDA in support of soil health and resilience

 

Grass Valley, CA: Today, Land Core, along with a diverse coalition of businesses and food and farming organizations, submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in response to the request for information on “Access to Fertilizer: Competition and Supply Chain Concerns”.

Our comments ask for support in helping farmers and ranchers transition to agricultural systems that build soil health and on-farm fertility as a primary means of reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers, the pricing of which, whether domestic or imported, is fundamentally tied to global energy markets.

Additionally, the coalition is asking for the recently announced investments in domestic fertilizer production to focus on providing national support for composting systems that would divert food waste from urban landfills. This would not only improve soil health and farmer resilience, but also create jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Skyrocketing prices - more than doubling over the past year - and short supply of fertilizers are squeezing razor-thin margins, jeopardizing farmer livelihoods, and putting our national food security at risk. The situation has exposed the extent to which our current production system is trapping farmers in a cycle of dependency.

Farmers and ranchers all across the country who are working to build soil health through practices such as cover cropping, integrating livestock, and reducing tillage in row crop farming are reducing input use and costs dramatically, and are achieving long-term profitability and yield stability. But they can't do it alone. Our letter outlines key opportunities for immediate action by USDA, as well as Congress and the Administration.

The coalition represents businesses and organizations across the country amplifying the voices of farmers and ranchers calling on USDA to free the American food system from the endless sway of global markets, while saving taxpayer dollars, producing healthier, more affordable food for our communities, and building an independent and resilient American agriculture, centered on soil health.

The letter is supported by:

  • AgConnection

  • American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN)

  • Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc.

  • Cooks Venture

  • Denver Urban Gardens

  • E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs)

  • Earthjustice

  • Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

  • Farmworker Association of Florida

  • Green State Solutions

  • King Arthur Baking Company

  • Kiss The Ground

  • Local First Arizona/Coalition for Farmland Preservation

  • Nanban Foundation

  • Naturepedic Organic Mattresses & Bedding

  • New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group

  • Regenerative Organic Alliance

  • The Non-GMO Project

  • Zero Foodprint

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Land Core is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization advancing soil health programs and policies that create value for farmers, businesses, and communities.

 
Policy MemosLand Core Staff