The End is Only the Beginning

This is my final post in Agricultural Policy. However, we have only reached the beginning of learning about ag policy. All citizens share a connection to the agriculture industry, either as producers, distributors, manufacturers, or consumers. To remain accurately informed about the food in our nation, we should all continue to follow agriculture news and learn about the federal, state, and local policies that impact us. 

Remember, there is so much more to agricultural policy than just "rules for farming." This blog covered a variety of current topics related to agriculture, but it only scratched the surface. Please feel free to revisit the blog as issues continue to unfold. Below is a review of each blog's main point:

Why Should You Care About Ag Policy?

• Ag policy impacts all citizens in their daily lives and plays an important role in the health, welfare, and economic stability of the United States.

Understanding Obama's FY2017 Agriculture Budget

• Each year, the President recommends federal budget allocations for agriculture-related projects.
• This year, Obama proposed increased funding for research and school meals; he also proposed controversial cuts to crop insurance subsidies.

The Role of Communication in the GMO-Labeling Debate

• Public perception plays an important role framing policy decisions.
• GMO advocates must do a better job of communicating information the public.

Labels: COOL or UnCOOL?

• After the World Trade Organization rules against the United States' country-of-origin-labeling law, policymakers decided to repeal the popular mandate.

National Ag Day and Our Founding Farmers

• In order to remind Americans of our strong agricultural heritage, National Ag Day was established to help citizens understand how their food is produced. 
• Agriculture continues to play an integral role in the development of the United States.

The Legislative Process

• Policy is created through legislation (pass/fail of bills in Congress). The legislative process has many complex steps before an idea can become policy.

Online Government Resources

• Citizens have a right to understand the actions of Congress. This blog focused on comparing the information provided by the Senate Agriculture Committee and the House Agriculture Committee on their respective websites. 
• Additional non-government sources also provide valuable insights.

The Risk of Agroterrorism

• Agroterrorism, or the intentional destruction or contamination of the food source, is a high security concern in the United States.
• Government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Human and Health Services work together to ensure the safety and quality of our food.

MyPlate Replaces Food Pyramid

• The government has sponsored many educational campaigns over the years to help Americans eat healthy. The most recent campaign is MyPlate.
• Campaign contributions and powerful industries have influenced the nutritional guidelines, leading some people to doubt their credibility.

Agricultural policy covers a diverse group of topics, as evidenced by the blogs above. In order to continue learning about the ag industry and government policy, please feel free to visit any of the websites below. Click on the logo to visit the site. 

http://www.ncfap.org/

http://www.agweb.com/news/policy-news/

http://nationalaglawcenter.org/ag-and-food-law-blog/

http://www.agri-pulse.com/

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about agricultural policy. To continue the conversation with me, please feel free to send me a message or comment on the blog.