Meat+Poultry - November 2023 - 78

AG OUTLOOK FORUM
to feed the world. Joining a panel moderated
by Blake Hurst of Hurst Farms, and former
president of Missouri Farm Bureau, were
Congressman Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) and
Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-Kan.).
Mann and Davids offered a look at ongoing
discussions within the Agriculture Committee.
With the expiration date for the current
Farm Bill occurring on Sept. 30, Davids
confirmed that the ag committee was not
optimistic about passing the bill before then.
Nevertheless, she assured attendees at the
Ag Outlook Forum that the Senate and House
of Representatives are prioritizing passing
the bill.
" There is a sense of urgency for both the
folks in the Senate and the House to get this
done, " she said.
Sara Wyant, president of
Agri-Pulse Communications,
hosted this year's ninth
annual Ag Outlook Forum,
held at the Kansas City
Marriott Downtown.
Nestlé and the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, supports regenerative agriculture
of 1.7 million acres of the United States' land
over the next five years. Through this initiative,
Cargill estimates that 845,000 tonnes of carbon
dioxide will be sequestered.
BeefUp provides technical and financial
support for ranchers to implement regenerative
practices through a $30 million investment into
the program.
Future investments are expected to
come through 2030, totaling $80 million and
impacting 5.2 million acres of land.
In 2021, Cargill launched its RegenConnect
program, which compensates farmers for
adopting climate-friendly practices. That
program expanded to reach farmers in Europe
in May this year.
Since its inception, RegenConnect has
had around 1,000 farms and 625,000 acres
enrolled in the program, and $7 million in cash
payments have been given to farmers.
" By providing farmers financial incentive
for positive environmental contributions, we
can help mitigate climate change, improve soil
health and decarbonize the global food supply, "
Kabat said.
FARM BILL IN THE THROES
Stakeholders wait anxiously for the finalization
of the 2023 Farm Bill to bring additional
solutions to the food insecurity crisis and
bolster the support for producers working
78 MEAT+POULTRY | 11.23 | www.meatpoultry.com
Mann pointed out that as the end of the
crop year rolls around on Dec. 31, crop
insurance policies and related regulations will
revert back to the original legislation passed
in the 1930s without a new amendment or an
extension of some kind. Seeing as " no one
wants to go back " to outdated policies, Mann
said he was confident an extension would be
issued if the 2023 Farm Bill is not enacted by
that time.
" I think we have got to remember that
Farm Bills are five-year policies for a reason, "
he said. " Long enough to provide certainty for
our producers but short enough so that we
are looking at these policies and making sure
that we are updating it and it's changing with
the times. " [Note: A continuing resolution was
approved that ends Nov. 17.]
While the Farm Bill consists of 81% food
nutrition policies, both Mann and Davids still
placed crop insurance and agriculture research
as top priorities for the legislation.
Despite the challenges Congress faces in
reaching agreement on the Farm Bill, Hurst
noted that the legislation has held strong for
almost 90 years and has greatly improved
farmers' average household income.
" It is important to remember that in 1934,
when my grandfather signed that first contract,
farm households were about 40% of the
average household income, " Hurst said. " Today,
farm households enjoy an income that's around
120% of the US average. Gratitude for the hard
work that has gone into 90 years of farm bills is
in order. "
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