Read NFFC's Spring 2010 newsletter here.

Statement of Support for Shirley Sherrod by NFFC and other groups - July 21, 2010

Rein in the Meatpackers - Today, a tiny handful of meatpackers and poultry processors dominates the livestock industry, making it hard for an individual farmer or rancher to get a fair deal or equitable price for cattle, hogs, or chickens. Packers are able to use their monopoly-like power to manipulate prices paid to livestock producers.

Over One Thousand European Milk Producers Protest During the Session of the European Council of Agriculture Ministers - The report of the High Level Group on Milk (HLGM) that will be discussed today by the European Council of Agriculture Ministers cannot solve the milk crisis. European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) and European Milk Board (EMB) make one thing clear at their demonstration: fair prices for producers and supply management are needed.

Read about the recent events in Madison - Here - "Farmers plead for help as milk prices destroy profits" and, via WHY: "The main event was a Dairy Town Hall Forum in Madison, Wisconsin, sponsored by Family Farm Defenders, National Family Farm Coalition, and Food and Water Watch, and timed to coincide with Friday's Department of Justice and USDA workshop examining corporate concentration in the dairy industry."

Check out the new website of Bust the Trust - www.bustthetrust.org - Come to the DOJ Hearing on Dairy and Town Hall Forum June 24 and 25 in Madison, WI. For info click here.

News Coverage of the Madison DOJ Hearing on Dairy (06.23.10) - For dairy farmer Paul Rozwadowski of Stanley, Wis., this Friday won't begin with the usual chores of milking cows and tending fields.

USDA to issue rule on fair play in livestock sales (05.25.10) - USDA expected to propose marketing rules in June.

US farmer speaks out about World Bank land grab principles (04.26.10) - Bob St. Peter of Food for Maine’s Future writes on land grabbing and food sovereignty.

Re-localizing our food system is the solution to hunger (02.17.10) - Bob St. Peter responds to a panel discusion on biotechnology in agriculture.

Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement a Framework for the Future (01.26.10) - The faith, labor, family farm, consumer, environmental, human rights and social justice organizations within Citizens Trade Campaign (CTC) wrote Obama urging him to enact meaningful trade reform as his administration enters into negotiations for a proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPP). To learn more about the TPP, visit www.citizenstrade.org/tpp.php.

Concentration in the Seed Industry Leads to Less Choice, Higher Prices for U.S. Farmers (12.09.09) - American farmers are feeling the effects of a concentrated seed industry. Seed options are diminishing while prices increase at historic rates. A new report released by the Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering, entitled Out of hand: Farmers face the consequences of a consolidated seed industry, examines these troubling trends, substantiating the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into alleged anticompetitive conduct in the seed industry.

Why We Left Our Farms to Come to Copenhagen (12.07.09) - Read the speech of Via Campesina's General Coordinator, Henry Saragih, at the opening session of Klimaforum 2009.

Stop USDA loans to factory farms (12.03.09) - Read Hugh Espey's op-ed on the national campaign to end USDA direct and guaranteed loans for new and expanding hog and poultry factory farms. Espey is executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, an NFFC Member Group. Visit our Credit page to learn more about the issue.

As Climate Talks Begin, Obama’s Change Mandate in Question (12.03.09) With Copenhagen around the corner and failure of this week’s WTO negotiations, the Obama administration’s international agenda and leadership style are coming under scrutiny. The potential confirmation of controversial former pesticide lobbyist Islam Siddiqui as the U.S. trade representative for agriculture threatens to further undermine this administration’s credibility in international forums by privileging U.S. corporate interests over the global public interest and common good.

Risk Management and Disaster Guides Available (11.19.09) Farmers' Legal Action Group, Inc. (FLAG) has posted on its website a trove of new risk management and disaster publications for family farmers and farm advocates. Find out more by visiting our Credit and Disaster page.

Farmers Unite Against NAIS (11.18.09) - Family farmers joined food safety groups, sustainabled agriculture advocates, and a variety of other organizations in signing letters urging Congress and the USDA to halt implementation of NAIS. Click here to read the letter to Congress, and here for the USDA letter.

100+ Groups Urge USDA to Suspend CAFO Loans (11.16.09) - Over 100 groups signed a letter to Secretary Vilsack urging the USDA to to immediately suspend all direct or guaranteed loans for the construction or expansion of specialized hog or poultry production facilities. Read the letter here.

Food Safety Act Has Serious Flaws (11.10.09) - Organizations representing consumers, small farmers and ranchers, and local food producers wrote Senators to express their concerns over pending food safety legislation. Read the letter here.

NFFC Urges Pelosi to Support Health Care Reform (11.10.09) - NFFC wrote Nancy Pelosi a letter urging her to vote for passage of H.R. 3962 – America's Affordable Health Choices Act – as it makes it way to the floor of the House of Representatives this weekend. Read the letter here.