MWCA 2023 Farm Bill Priorities
Midwest Council on Agriculture 2023 Farm Bill Policy Priorities
March 31, 2023
The Midwest Council on Agriculture is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization that includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. MWCA is a broad-based coalition of farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commodity groups and agriculture lenders with common goals that advocate for a strong, common-sense agriculture policy for the Midwest region.
As leaders in the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees prepare for the 2023 Farm Bill, our diverse Midwestern coalition has affirmed the following priorities:
1. Protect financial and risk management programs
· Maintain funding for crop insurance, livestock insurance, and dairy revenue protection programs
· Continue a strong crop insurance program that’s actuarily sound
· Disaster assistance programs should use crop insurance information while avoiding disincentives to participation
· Improve ARC/PLC processes
2. Maintain a strong Title I
3. Support the balance of nutrition and farm programs
· Safeguard the balance of nutrition and farm programs that will foster broad bipartisan and regional support for a Farm Bill
· Support SNAP prioritizing purchase of U.S. produced agricultural products
4. Support a strong Research & Extension title
· Advocate for solutions for labor and workforce shortages in agriculture by building capacity for education and training in agriculture and natural resources at our Land Grant Universities, community colleges and trade schools
· Increase resources for Farm Business Management and Benchmarking to help producers manage financial challenges
5. Champion domestically grown and produced crops as energy solutions
· Support adequate funding for REAP to shore up current and future renewable energy opportunities
· Support resources and research for biofuels and biomass
6. Protect animal health
· Continue provisions that protect livestock and agriculture from diseases like High Path Avian Influenza, African Swine Fever, and Foot & Mouth Disease
· Strengthen border security and producer education to prevent introduction
· Provide for continued surveillance and early detection
· Refine a rapid response to disease outbreak
7. Ensure voluntary, incentive-based outcomes for regenerative and resilient agriculture practices
· Recognize both current and new conservation efforts by producers
· Maintain funding for programs like CRP, EQIP and CSP
· Improve NRCS standards across regions
· Support programs that encourage technologies like precision agriculture
8. Maintain a strong sugar policy
9. Strengthen USDA’s Foreign Market Development Program and Market Access Program
10. Support a strong Rural Development title that adequately funds rural broadband, rural water and waste disposal, and rural business programs