NFFC Credit and Rural Economic Development Task
Force
Goals:
• Secure sufficient funding and proper servicing of US Department
of Agriculture (USDA) lending programs.
• Ensure a fair USDA appeals system for family farmers.
• Eradicate the ongoing discriminatory practices at all
USDA levels.
The NFFC Credit and Rural Economic Development Task Force seeks
to ensure that family farmers maintain access to the affordable
credit they need to remain in business. NFFC and its member organizations
worked to fairly implement pro-family farmer provisions of current
laws during the past twenty years. These laws include the debt
restructuring provisions of the 1987 Agricultural Credit Act that
provided important rights for farmer borrowers who faced foreclosure
and bankruptcy during the 1980s farm crisis.
The Task Force keeps NFFC member groups and other farm credit
advocacy organizations informed through mailings, conference calls,
email communications, and strategy meetings.
NFFC works with the Farmers Legal Action Group, Inc. (FLAG), Farm
Aid, Inc., Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Land Loss Prevention
Project, and Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA)
to conduct farmer trainings. These trainings provide a forum for
farm leaders and credit advocates to develop tools that assist
farmers with credit problems.
Current Priorities:
1. Reinstate Chapter 12 Bankruptcy as an option for family farmers.
2. Develop a comprehensive campaign to restore justice to the
USDA Appeals System. This is necessary to ensure that all farmers
receive fair treatment from USDA with a particular emphasis on
those minority farmers who won settlements as part of the USDA
discrimination suit, and who now face bias in USDA program delivery.
3. Monitor USDA's actions on: implementation and enforcement
of farm credit programs, including overall access to credit for
family farmers; specific programs designed to assist minority
and beginning farmers; nondiscrimination in credit programs; and
the shift in guaranteed loans that benefit large, corporate-controlled
farm and livestock operations.
4. Ensure the best implementation possible of the policy changes
made in the 2002 Farm Bill to benefit farmers and Farm Service
Agency (FSA) borrowers. NFFC works with Farmers Legal Action Group,
Inc. (FLAG) in developing timely responses to proposed regulations
that guide program delivery.
If you are interested in being part of our advocate's network
or receive email alerts on key issues, please contact the NFFC
office at nffc@nffc.net.
• Statement
for the Small Business Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee by Bryan Wolfe, August 23, 2006
• Senate Agriculture Committee Oversight Hearing on the USDA Farm Loan Programs (FLP): June 13, 2006
• Reinstatement
of Chapter 12 Bankruptcy
• Full Funding at $25 million for Section 2501
• Increased federal funds
for FSA Operating and Ownership Loans
• Full support for USDA Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights
