Does not matter: What the 100 days means for ag — Black farmers legislation in the works— Mexico Supreme Court to take up potato case

Apr 26, 2021

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With help from Ryan McCrimmon and Helena Bottemiller Evich

Quick Fix

— President Joe Biden marks his first 100 days in office with an address to a joint session of Congress and unveiling of a new package.

— Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) announces upcoming Black farmers legislation to increase market access for equity to farmers of color and to reduce discrimination.

— The Mexican legislature has the U.S. potato dispute on the docket for Wednesday, and exporters hope there will finally be a ruling.

HAPPY MONDAY, APRIL 26! Welcome to Morning Ag, where your host is celebrating National Help-A-Horse Day by reminiscing about when she rode her friend's horse after debate practice! Send tips to xbustillo@politico.com and @ximena_bustillo, and follow us @Morning_Ag.

DRIVING THE WEEK

100 DAYS AND 100 NIGHTS: The first 100 days of the Biden presidency clocks in this week, and the president will mark the occasion with his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. Biden is also expected to announce his next legislative package — dubbed the American Families Plan — which is expected to focus on funding child care, pre-Kindergarten, paid family leave and education. Earlier news reports have also said he would discuss money "for nutritional assistance."

Ag and the Earth: Biden is also expected to talk about climate after his summit with world leaders wrapped up last week. Multiple countries joined the U.S. in launching the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate.

"The goal of AIM for Climate, which will be advanced at the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021 and launched at COP26 in November 2021, is to increase and accelerate global innovation research and development on agriculture and food systems in support of climate action," according to a press release from the Department of Agriculture.

The areas targeted through AIM for Climate will include: sustainable productivity improvements; land, water, carbon, and other input use efficiency; resilient crop and livestock production; enhanced digital tools; and inclusive, equitable and sustainable food systems.

Beef over beef: Meanwhile, false claims that Biden's climate goals would require Americans to cut their red meat consumption by 90 percent by 2030 hit social media and conservative outlets over the weekend.

The speculation came from a University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems report from last year that examined how emission reduction could be affected by dietary changes. While the report examines the impact that meat consumption could have on pollution, it is not a policy proposal by the administration.

UPCOMING BLACK FARMER INCENTIVES LEGISLATION: House Agriculture Committee Chair David Scott (D-Ga.) announced on Friday that future legislation in the committee will provide tax incentives to Black farmers. The bill would also list previous discriminatory actions and make them illegal and punishable.

"We have to make sure the Black farmers' concerns are known," Scott said during a webinar sponsored by Corn Refiners Association and Agri-Pulse. "Which is why it's important to put their points of discrimination in the legislation so we can set a pattern here and have full confidence that they have been heard."

Rep. David Scott asks questions.

Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) pictured in June 2020. | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Scott's thinking: The bill will address "the real fundamental issue: the lack of effective, efficient and fair market share wherein our Black farmers will be able to increase their sales and income from the farmers market, grocery stores and processors."

JOIN TODAY FOR A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH ENERGY SECRETARY GRANHOLM : President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure and climate plan includes boosting investment in clean energy and significantly cutting fossil fuel emissions. Can the administration meet its climate targets? Join Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri for a virtual interview with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on the administration's plans to embrace renewable energy, electric vehicles and new solar technologies as part of Biden's call for an energy transition. REGISTER HERE.

VEEP SIGNALS USDA INVOLVEMENT IN IMMIGRATION: Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday hinted at USDA's involvement in upcoming immigration policy rollouts.

The vice president told CNN's Dana Bash in an interview on "State of the Union" that the Agriculture Department will be one of many agencies rolling out policies to help farmers in Mexico and Northern Triangle countries who have been "devastated by crisis in terms of climate and drought."

FARM GROUPS FEAR CONSERVATION 'LAND GRAB': Biden's "30x30" proposal to conserve 30 percent of all U.S. lands and waters by 2030 has raised worries within the agriculture industry. The American Farm Bureau Federation last week joined a growing chorus of trade groups asking the administration for more details and assurances about Biden's intentions.

"The concerns of farmers and ranchers are escalating regarding the intent of the 30x30 goal, the definition of conservation, and the metrics for defining success, among other things," the Farm Bureau wrote in a letter to the White House.

The Biden administration has dismissed the "land grab" rhetoric coming from some farm and rural advocates, and said that USDA is focused on rewarding ag producers for implementing sustainable farm practices.

USDA plan in focus: The department last week rolled out an expansion of its Conservation Reserve Program, aiming to enroll up to 4 million more privately held acres with higher payment rates for producers and "a more targeted focus on the program's role in climate change mitigation."

"There's no intention to take something away from folks," Secretary Tom Vilsack said of the 30x30 goal during a virtual briefing on Thursday. "It's really designed to figure out creative and innovative ways to encourage folks to participate in what many farmers and ranchers are already doing."

WILL MEXICO FINALLY DECIDE ON U.S. POTATOES? The Mexican Supreme Court has placed the U.S. potato case back on the docket for Wednesday. U.S. growers, activists and lawmakers hope a decision will come once and for all.

The cliffhanger: A draft ruling was released by the Supreme Court in February in favor of expanding the market access of fresh potato exports to Mexico past the first 16 miles from the border — where they are currently limited to. But the Justices decided to postpone the final vote indefinitely leaving stakeholders without an answer.

USMCA threats: Mexico had originally banned continued export of fresh potatoes to the rest of the country over pest concerns, which the Mexican government later withdrew. But a local potato company successfully sued to keep U.S. potatoes out.

Now advocates and lawmakers in the U.S. say that this is a violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and have threatened to urge USDA and USTR to launch an investigation, one they say the U.S. will ultimately win giving the U.S. trade retaliation power.

"Until Idaho's farmers are able to sell high-quality potatoes to every family in Mexico — as is their right under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) — I will continue working with USTR to ensure Mexico upholds its commitments under the USMCA," Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) told POLITICO in a statement.

USDA EXPANDS FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR SENIORS: USDA announced on Friday the department will increase food assistance for low-income seniors by providing $37 million in additional support to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. States and Tribal nations will receive the new money, in addition to up to $2.6 million in administrative funds from a previous Covid relief bill.

Report Roundup

FOOD AID SPENDING SURPASSED $122 BILLION IN 2020: Federal spending on USDA's nutrition assistance programs shot up 30 percent in fiscal year 2020 as a result of the pandemic, exceeding $122 billion. Adjusted for inflation, that's a record.

The USDA's Economic Research Service released a chart late last week showing how overall spending on nutrition aid programs compares over time. Even as recently as fiscal year 2019, spending was below $100 billion for all programs.

"This increase reflects the expanded need for food assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent Federal response to meet that need," ERS said. The increase has been driven by emergency SNAP payments, Pandemic-EBT and the Trump era food box program.

What the pandemic did: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spending had been on the decline for several years before Covid-19 wreaked havoc on the economy. The cost of SNAP, which makes up the lion's share of nutrition spending, jumped nearly 50 percent last year, per data that came out in January.

Child nutrition spending down: Not all programs have grown during the pandemic. Spending on USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, aka WIC, "remained relatively unchanged while pandemic-induced disruptions in the operation of schools, childcare centers and daycare homes led to declines in child nutrition spending," ERS said.

Movers and Shakers

The USDA announced several staff appointments late last week including:

— Karama Neal as administrator for the Rural Business-Cooperative Service;

— Mike Schmidt as senior adviser in the Office of the Secretary;

— Lisa Ramirez as director of the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement;

— Doug McKalip as senior advisor in the Office of the Secretary.

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Row Crops

— Food-at-home prices are expected to increase this year between 1 and 2 percent and food-away-from-home prices are now expected to increase between 2.5 and 3.5 percent, according to a new report from the Economics Research Service at USDA.

— House Democrats call on the Labor Department to testify this week on the status of OSHA's delayed Covid workplace rules. Pro Labor's Rebecca Rainey reports.

— California Gov. Gavin Newsom directed state regulators to ban new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024, reports POLITICO California's Colby Bermel .

— The Biden administration can access $38 billion in federal funds to aid coal communities in the transition to cutting greenhouse gases, Pro Energy's Kelsey Tamborrino and Eric Wolff report.

— Restaurants — both fast-food outlets and high-end names — are weighing higher wages, benefits and bonuses to attract workers for hire, according to The Wall Street Journal.

— A United Nations report finds cutting methane emissions is a vital part of slowing the effects of climate change — and releases from livestock, in particular, are expected to make up a growing share of future emissions. The New York Times has the story.

— A Wisconsin-based grocery delivery service branding itself as sustainable has picked up business nationwide, Milwaukee Magazine reports.

— Bayer's agriculture business sees a bright future after successful first quarter results. Reuters has more.

THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line: xbustillo@politico.com; rmccrimmon@politico.com; hbottemiller@politico.com; gmott@politico.com and pjoshi@politico.com.