AIBS joined more than 50 organizations in sending a letter to the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership urging them to include funding for orphan programs in any new Farm Bill, or should it become necessary, a Farm Bill extension.
The letter reads, in part:
“As you know, orphan programs often address niche or emerging areas within agriculture which may not receive the same level of attention or resources as other larger programs. The outcomes of these varied programs are many: improving farm system efficiency, enhancing rangeland management and conservation, increasing farmers’ and ranchers’ resilience to extreme weather, addressing emerging diseases and invasive species, supporting young farmers and those transitioning to new crops or systems, de-risking investments in innovation, promoting biofuels production, and growing market access. These vital programs operate in all fifty states and a failure to fund them in a farm bill or farm bill extension in 2024 negatively impacts countless farmers, ranchers, and food system stakeholders.”
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