A Brighter Future for Dairy

Do you like ice cream on a hot day? Milk with your cereal? Or cheese on a pizza? Thank a dairy farmer!

Dairy farming is a challenging business, made even harder thanks to market volatility, prices that often don’t cover farmers’ cost of production, and a continuing trend towards corporate consolidation and megadairies. Since 2000, more than 70,000 dairy farms have left the business - a 70% decline. We have a plan for a brighter future for dairy! NFFC's Milk from Family Dairies Act (MFDA) is a sustainable, long-term solution to the root causes of the US dairy crisis that has forced thousands of farmers out of business.

NFFC has celebrated National Dairy Month during June by lifting up the challenges and needs of US dairy farmers. June is ending, but there are still endless opportunities to support dairy farms. A great way to start is by emailing or calling your legislators and asking them to support the MFDA!

It’s time to give dairy farmers, and the rural communities who rely on them, a secure and prosperous future.

NFFC Calls on US Government to End Opposition to Mexico's Ag Policies

NFFC has released a statement calling for the US government to end its hypocritical attempts to undermine Mexico's seed and food sovereignty!

Under the guise of the USMCA trade agreement, the US government continues to attack Mexico's domestic policy decision to ban cultivation of genetically modified corn, phase out the use of the herbicide glyphosate by 2024, and prohibit the use of genetically modified corn in some culturally significant foods.

The dispute is another example of the US government taking an imperialist attitude towards close agricultural trading partners, justified by the debunked rhetoric that the solution to global hunger is through heightened production, often using GM crops (and to the great benefit of agribusinesses). In direct contrast to its foreign policy approach, the Biden administration has domestically supported increased competition within the US seed sector. Read our full statement online.

(More) Policies to Watch 👀

Don't miss a single policy update! Make sure to check out our most recent Action Alert here!

👉 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)'s Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, a new rule released in March 2023, requires small business lenders to collect and report demographic information on its borrowers. Farm Credit, the largest farm lender in the US, is attempting to be excluded from the rule. NFFC and allies have submitted comments against this exemption, which would harm efforts to create more equitable and transparent farm lending systems. Section 1071 is pro-farmer, and pro-rural communities!

👉 The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS Act) was re-introduced recently by Senator Marshall. This bill would roll back state regulations concerning agricultural products, but is written so broadly that it would eliminate pro-family farming laws across the country and abolish states’ abilities to pass laws that best fit the needs of their farmers and ranchers. This is an extremely concerning bill that would cripple local agricultural control, and create openings for international corporations to squeeze out smaller producers.

Contact your legislators, asking them to oppose these policies!

The Nyéléni Process Begins!

The International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty hosted a week-long discussion in Rome early this June, kicking off the new Nyéléni process! More than 60 people from across the globe met, including NFFC staff and allies, to renew their commitment to the struggle for food sovereignty in the face of many challenges.

The process will continue as IPC plans to host a number of consultations with farmers, fishers, peasants, NGOs, academics, and many others to discuss and propose solutions and priorities for the collective struggle for food sovereignty. Learn more about the new Nyéléni Process at IPC's website.

We also recommend signing up for the Nyéléni newsletter - the voice of the international movement for food sovereignty which is collectively edited by allied groups like La Via Campesina, GRAIN, FIAN International and more.

The first, and so far only, Nyéléni Forum took place in 2007 with more than 600 delegates. The next Nyéléni Forum will take place in India, in 2025.