Does not matter: Keeping climate-ag in reconciliation

Oct 18, 2021

Presented by the National Confectioners Association

Quick Fix

— House Agriculture Democrats are putting pressure on congressional leaders to protect the climate-ag provisions of the reconciliation package as the price tag is renegotiated.

— Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Iowa to meet with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts.

— USDA officials met with school food executives to discuss nutrition and supply chain disruptions that continue to limit school resources.

HAPPY MONDAY, OCT. 18! Welcome to Weekly Ag, where your host is looking to launch an independent investigation into the lost zebras because I still don't understand how they are still out there. Send tips to xbustillo@politico.com and @ximena_bustillo, and follow us @Morning_Ag.

A message from the National Confectioners Association:

This Halloween season is all about the family-owned businesses that employ people in our communities who make our favorite treats, elevating the traditions that connect us to one another. Chocolate and candy companies create and support good-paying jobs for hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans. For every job created in confectionery manufacturing, another 11 are supported in related industries – a strong multiplier effect of 1:11. And that is the #PowerOfSweet. Learn more at PowerOfSweet.com.

DRIVING THE WEEK

DEFENDING CLIMATE-AG PROVISIONS : Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) will be sending a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer this morning advocating for preserving the agricultural provisions of the reconciliation package.

"If the United States is going to meet its climate goals, it is essential that we actively enlist the help of those who know the land best — farmers, producers, ranchers, and forestland owners — to not just cut greenhouse gas emissions but actively sequester carbon from our atmosphere," the pair write in the letter first seen by POLITICO.

What's in the bill: To recap, the House Ag Committee last month advanced its part of the larger package to provide $1 billion for expanded biofuel investments and millions for climate research.

Democrats also aim to include $28 billion in conservation funding that includes $5 billion for direct payments to producers who establish cover crops, $200 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service technical assistance and billions more for voluntary conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program.

While these $28 billion didn't make it into the proposal in time for the House Ag Committee to advance the measure, lawmakers hoped to include them later on in the process.

The lawmakers argue that the increase in funding for voluntary conservation programs and technical assistance are key to engaging farmers in climate action. "Unfortunately, funding for these positions has also failed to meet the sustained demand for agricultural producers," they note about the need for more "boots on the ground" assistance for producers.

More letters: On Friday, over 130 agricultural organizations sent a letter to congressional leaders asking them to preserve the $7.75 billion for agricultural research proposed in the social spending package.

Why the worry? The full reconciliation package needs support from all Democratic senators and Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have come out in strong opposition to the topline $3.5 trillion. Democrats are currently working on renegotiating the package down, which will shave trillions from the current proposal.

This puts all provisions at risk of being rewritten or eliminated, including the climate and agriculture ones, and Democrats in the House Ag Committee are pushing within their party to preserve the provisions as they are, even in a smaller overall deal.

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KICKING OFF WORLD FOOD DAY: A group of senators including Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and ranking member John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced and passed a resolution designating Oct. 16 as "World Food Day." Rep. Pingree has introduced a companion resolution in the House.

Each year, the United States joins more than 130 countries and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in celebrating World Food Day to promote global awareness and action for all who suffer from malnutrition. This year also commemorates the 76th anniversary of the FAO, established in Hot Springs, Va, on Oct. 16, 1945.

VILSACK HEADS TO IOWA: Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will be in Iowa later this week to host bilateral meetings with Mexico's Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Víctor Manuel Villalobos Arámbula and participate in the World Food Prize Laureate Award ceremony to be held in the Des Moines area.

What we are watching: Vilsack is under pressure from producers and lawmakers to resolve certain trade barriers with Mexico including biotechnology restrictions and the export of fresh potatoes. The Mexican government has also previously raised concern over the treatment of migrant workers in the U.S. Most recently, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., Esteban Moctezuma, and the U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh signed four agreements to increase protections for Mexican workers in the U.S., especially in the agricultural and meatpacking sectors.

USDA TALKS SCHOOL MEALS: Vilsack and Stacy Dean, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, and Cindy Long, USDA food and nutrition service administrator, on Friday held a listening session with 19 school food industry executives to discuss access to nutritious foods for school meals programs.

"USDA's school meal programs have a wide-reaching impact on the health and well-being of our nation's children," Vilsack said in a statement. "Now, more than ever, America's children need access to healthy and nutritious foods, and our industry partners play a huge role in making that happen."

Talking supply chain: Vilsack told reporters earlier in the week he planned to use the listening session to learn more about supply chain disruptions hitting school cafeterias across the country. School administrators are struggling to find supplies across the board from utensils to meat to juice, according to NBC News.

Remember the standards: Vilsack has previously said he anticipates that in the coming school year there will begin to be a return to higher standards — pending supply chain barriers.

A message from the National Confectioners Association:

Row Crops

— AJ Jones II will be SVP for global comms and public affairs at Starbucks. He most recently has been chief corporate affairs and comms officer at Vanda Pharmaceuticals.

— The Biden administration declared climate change as a "systemic risk" on Friday, reports Pro Sustainability's Lorraine Woellert.

— Farmers in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. were able to grow big harvests despite extreme weather. The Washington Post has more.

— Ranchers in Nebraska teamed up to build and run their own meat processing plant as an alternative to using one owned by the top four meatpackers. The Associated Press has the story.

— Food companies that produce plant-based and alternative meat products are facing scrutiny from environmentalists who say the foods might not be more sustainable than meat production. The New York Times reports.

— The United Nations' World Food Program is warning that 95 percent of Afghans are not getting enough to eat, pushing the country's population further below the poverty line, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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

A message from the National Confectioners Association:

America's chocolate and candy companies are essential to the American workforce. They are powerful drivers of the economy, and they are moment-makers during the Halloween season and at special times throughout the entire year. Makers of chocolate, candy, gum and mints create about 58,000 manufacturing jobs, and support nearly 700,000 good-paying American jobs in related industries, including agriculture, retail, transportation and more. The industry generates $37 billion in retail sales each year and is essential to cities and towns across the country, operating more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities in all 50 states. Candy makers are leading the way at Halloween and all year long on important topics like portion guidance, sustainability and diversity to help create a sweeter future for all of us. And that is the #PowerOfSweet. Learn more at PowerOfSweet.com.