It’s the first major change to farm food safety rules since 1938. Things have changed a fair bit since then, don’t you think?
In short, the proposed rules – initiated by the Food Safety Modernization Act – will have a significant impact on your farm. As written, you could have thousands of dollars of additional expenses each year. Even the FDA – the agency initiating the change – has estimated that there could be a significant cost to farms to come into compliance. Everything from how often you need to test your water supply to how you wash produce to changes in food processing is covered.
As we analyze the rules, there are major issues popping up that threaten the viability of our farms and it is absolutely critical we’re organized to respond! The FDA will be accepting comments to the proposal throughout the Fall – the entire beginning farmer community needs to come together with a strong voice for sensible reform.
In the next month, we’ll be launching a nationwide effort to drive comments on how the FDA rules will affect farmers and consumers, and to call for changes that will keep our food safe and our farms in business.
We need volunteers in every state and region to help. If you’re interested in helping us win revised rules that make sense for our farms, please email volunteer@youngfarmers.org.
Learn more about the rules
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition team has put together detailed reports on several major elements to the new rules, including
- Manure and Compost
- Natural Resource Conservation Practices
- Domesticated and Wild Animals
- Agricultural Water
- Record-keeping
Find out more about how each of these areas will be affected at NSAC’s food safety page.
What’s NYFC’s take on food safety?
There is absolutely no-one who cares more about the safety and quality of food than the farmers growing it.
In fact, the best way we can ensure a safe and secure food supply is update these regulations without hurting the beginning farmers who are the next generation of American agriculturalists. We need rules that will: protect consumers, use scale-appropriate language so as to not unduly clamp down on small farms, protect conservation practices and sustainable agriculture and respect the workload of farmers in order to protect the food supply, not shut it off.
Join us today – email volunteer@youngfarmers.org!