A publication of  the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

NASDA Meeting to Highlight Technology, Tradition

NASDA kicks off its 2012 Annual Meeting in Des Moines, Iowa tomorrow, September 12. During the meeting, NASDA members will examine important agricultural issues such as drought and disaster assistance, food safety, public perception of biotechnology, international marketing and trade, conservation programs, and the relationship between science and public policy. 

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will address meeting attendees Friday morning. Other senior administration officials scheduled to speak include Dave White, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service; Michael Scuse, USDA Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services; Michael Taylor, FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Foods; and Ambassador Islam Siddiqui, Chief Agriculture Negotiator for the US Trade Representative.

A Presidential Forum on Agriculture will be held during the meeting with Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) representing the Romney Campaign and former Iowa Lieutenant Governor and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge representing the Obama Campaign. Although this is an invitation only event, the forum will be aired live on Iowa Public Television and other channels on September 12 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM CST.

To see the full agenda for the meeting, click here. (Contact: Megan McDonald or Amanda Bryant)

NASDA and the National Agricultural Law Center Form New Partnership

In order to enhance their similar missions, the National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) have formed a partnership that will serve to further the mission of both institutions.

Founded in 1915, NASDA's mission is to represent the state departments of agriculture in the development, implementation, and communication of sound public policy and programs which support and promote the American agricultural industry, while protecting consumers and the environment.

The NALC, a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is the nation's leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The Center serves the nation's agricultural community of producers, Cooperative Extension Service personnel, state and federal policymakers, attorneys, consumers, and others. While operating on a national scale, the Center conducts objective and scholarly agricultural and food law research and information. It is also a formal partner of the USDA National Agricultural Library, helping fulfill NAL's mission of "advancing access to global information for agriculture."

Through this new collaborative relationship, the NASDA and NALC will jointly host an agricultural and food law presentation series specifically for state departments of agriculture over the coming year.  The first presentation will feature Center Staff Attorney Elizabeth Rumley who will discuss Enforcing Animal Welfare Standards:  Whose Job is it Anyway?  The presentation will cover the designation of authority to enforce animal welfare laws throughout the United States and conclude with an overview of the liability concerns that may present themselves as a result of the delegation. For registration information, please contact Center Director Harrison Pittman at hmpittm@uark.edu.  

In addition, the NASDA and NALC will conduct a joint survey of state department of agriculture to identify additional issues to address through this partnership. (Contact: Nathan Bowen)