NASDA adopts policy for the year ahead
Members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) gathered in Washington, D.C. Feb. 24-26 for the 2025 NASDA Winter Policy Conference, themed “United We Thrive.”
By the end of the three-day event, the association had adopted 17 policy amendments and 10 action items on a wide range of topics from food safety and labor reform to water conservation and animal disease research.
Hot topics
As cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continue to wreak havoc on the U.S. poultry industry, enacting a national response to the outbreak was top of mind for NASDA members.
During the conference, the organization amended its policy to support the implementation of a national action plan for the detection, surveillance, response and containment of HPAI and passed two action items to initiate the first steps in executing this policy.
NASDA calls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to develop and implement a national vaccine strategy and urges Congress to enact legislation in support of APHIS’s indemnity and compensation program for foreign animal disease outbreaks.
Labor reform and biofuels were also hot topics among NASDA members.
In a an approved policy amendment, the organization expresses its support for an exemption to the “three-fourths guaranteed contract clause under the H-2A Department of Labor Farmworker Protection Rule for employers who experience natural disasters or unexpected hardships,” and in a corresponding action item, urges Congress to develop strategies to address ag labor challenges and border security.
Two amendments were passed regarding biofuels, including one which increases support for domestic and global demand of American-produced biofuels and another to support federal biofuel tax policy, with preference for the usage of domestic feedstock for U.S. biofuel production.
Multiple policy amendments were also passed in support of programs dedicated to increasing economic growth through access to local foods.
NASDA members voted in favor of policy to support the permanent establishment and funding of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Program administered by USDA and for policy to update the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program in an effort to reduce administrative burdens, emphasize the procurement of local foods and assist districts with the cost of preparing and storing food, as well as easing procurement regulations for schools to be able to purchase foods from in-state sources.
The topic of food safety and nutrition continued to dominate the conversation, with NASDA members passing another four policy amendments and one action item on the subject.
Policy included seeking continued uniformity between the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration regarding produce safety and updating language so it aligns with current nutrition and dietary guidelines.
NASDA also announces its support for the utilization of federal funding to create food as medicine programs, opposes any effort to divide nutrition spending in the farm bill and urges Congress to restore funding for ag programs.
Additional policy amendments
Six other policy amendments were passed during the organization’s annual meeting, including one in support of the creation of state block grant programs which provide technical assistance to farmers and another which seeks assistance for USDA resources to help growers comply with Endangered Species Act requirements regarding pesticide use.
Additionally, NASDA passed policy in support of the development of federal tax credits, grants and other incentives to improve the affordability of anaerobic digesters on ag operations; investments for controlled environment agriculture facilities and the continued development of “efficient, reliable, ecologically-friendly and cost-effective” petroleum and gas pipelines.
Other action items
Another six action items were also passed by NASDA members.
To acknowledge the contributions of women in agriculture and to show support for the United Nations’ resolution which declares 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, NASDA encourages domestic and international efforts to celebrate women in the industry.
“The action item encourages the U.S. government to provide leadership in support of the International Year of the Woman Farmer and urges states to implement additional programs to help women in agriculture gain access to credit, land and technology through training and mentorship opportunities,” reads a Feb. 26 NASDA press release.
In another action item, NASDA requests the Department of the Interior study the feasibility and potential water saving benefits of establishing incentives for homeowners to replace older, less water efficient turfgrass with drought-tolerant varieties.
NASDA further expresses support to protect the U.S. shrimping and catfish industries from illegal and harmful imports and the horse industry from the Horse Protection Act, set to go into effect on April 2.
The agency also recommends providing adequate funding to states to allow for proper operation of inspection programs under the U.S. Grain Standard Act and encourages Congress to retain the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative as a program in the upcoming farm bill with base funding of $36 million annually.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net
