September 18, 2023 - Last Wednesday, Senator John Fetterman introduced the Strengthening Local Meat Economies Act (SLMEA). The Strengthening Local Meat Economies Act is a bill designed to support independent small and very small processors by promoting fairness in US Department of Agriculture (USDA) meat procurement and reinvesting in local meat markets.
This bill is more necessary than ever, as earlier this year reporting surfaced that the market share of JBS-USA (a global food and meatpacking company) and other major packers has made it impossible for USDA to consider breaking ties with them. With JBS' business ethics under question both at home in the US and abroad, taxpayer dollars should not be spent on contracts with such companies when there are more responsible alternatives available.
"USDA has the opportunity to infuse rural meat economies with hundreds of millions of dollars in new demand that will support local meat processors and independent ranchers," stated Aaron Jonson, Program Manager, Challenging Corporate Power Program at Rural Advancement Foundation International, RAFI-USA.
SLMEA would give USDA the tools to reinvest in and strengthen local economies and expand USDA's options beyond the largest corporate meatpackers as it procures poultry and meat products for a variety of food assistance programs. In doing so, SLMEA also creates opportunities for small and mid-scale, local armers and ranchers who raise their animals in more sustainable ways by making it more possible for them to participate in federal procurement.
"Taken together, Strengthening Local Meat Economies Act and Strengthening Local Processing Act - introduced earlier this year - provide Congress with the tools it needs to sustain and build on the Administration's efforts to promote competition in agricultural markets," said Connor Kippe, NSAC Policy Specialist.
For more information, visit HERE.
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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