Food & Nutrition
America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to providing nutritious, safe and affordable food for consumers globally.
Nutrition Policy
A large and increasing number of federal dollars are spent to ensure nutritious food is available for our nation’s individuals, families, and children. NCFC believes federal nutrition programs should support nutritious and wholesome food in a variety of forms and based on the best available science. Federal programs and policies should also support American’s farmers and ranchers through prioritizing domestically produced foods. NCFC urges that any actions by Congress to update or change nutrition policy be based on best available science and USDA’s Dietary Guidelines.
Policy Resolutions
- Support USDA food and nutrition programs and the continuation of USDA commodity purchases using Section 32 funds.
- Support strengthening the Buy America provision in the school meals program to ensure federal taxpayer dollars are being used to support our domestic agricultural economy as well as ensure our children are being served safe, quality meals.
- Support expansion of Buy America provisions to federal procurement programs.
- Ensure federal agencies are coordinating with USDA when determining food policy for their respective programs, including military service.
- Support efforts to ensure Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee members and the scope of their recommendations are focused on dietary recommendations rather than agricultural production practices.
- Encourage USDA’s food and nutrition programs to provide all forms of fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts as outlined in the Dietary Guidelines.
- Ensure that federal nutrition policy is consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines and encourages healthful consumption of farm-raised meat, aquaculture, dairy products, grains, and fruits, vegetables, and nuts, based on best available science.
- Support the healthful consumption of higher fat content milk and milk products through federal nutrition programs.
- Support the development and use of technologies for efficient, safe production of affordable food, fiber and fuel while ensuring all types of agriculture are not disparaged in the marketplace and there is a fair, level regulatory framework and oversight process across technologies and procedures.
- Support legislative and regulatory efforts to grant federal preemptive authority on all food labeling requirements, including: the formation of one standardized nutritional labeling system for food labels and grocery store shelf markers that is based on best available science and criteria that is public and readily available to consumers.
- Oppose food labeling initiatives that conflict with science and increase food costs without achieving any substantiated benefits and support a national, uniform standard for warning consumers of actual risks associated with consuming or using agricultural products.
- Reduce the GHG impact of food waste and loss within the food value chain. One example is streamlining confusing consumer-facing packaging and implementing a public-private partnership to achieve a meaningful and workable food date-labeling program supported by robust public consumer education.
- Support the reauthorization of federal child nutrition programs, recognizing the need for flexibility while building on advancements made to ensure students have access to healthy, nutritious food.
- Any federal food labeling policies should be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- Support efforts to ensure that changes to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program preserve current levels of fruit and vegetable intake for those populations and provide maximum flexibility for participants in those programs to select foods and beverages that best meet their needs.
Food Safety
America’s farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to provide a safe food supply. NCFC urges that any actions by Congress or food safety regulations be based on best available science and prudent risk assessment. As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) moves forward with their restructuring plan, we look forward to engaging in that process to ensure these structural changes lead to a more effective, transparent and collaborative agency. American consumers need to have confidence that their food is safe and that the best science is being used to ensure that the most wholesome products possible.
Policy Resolutions
- Support food safety legislation and regulations based on best available science, and that are risk-based, commodity specific, and applied equitably.
- Ensure food safety regulations enhance our nation’s food safety while avoiding negative impacts to farmer cooperatives and their producer members.
