Rapid Response Fund for Farm Bill Advocacy Efforts
The Regenerative Agriculture Foundation has launched a peer-led farm bill rapid response fund focused on supporting grassroots farm bill advocacy efforts.
With support from the Waverley Street Foundation and in partnership with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and RAFI-USA, we launched a peer-led farm bill rapid response fund focused on supporting grassroots farm bill advocacy efforts. The first round of funding was distributed recently, and grantees are busy working to advance a strong 2023 Farm Bill through grassroots base-building initiatives, farmer fly-ins, informational material translation and narrative development, and more.
Thanks to big wins in last summer’s Inflation Reduction Act, regenerative agriculture advocates have an unprecedented opportunity to build on recent policy wins for a strong Farm Bill; that’s why RAF teamed up with partners to launch a peer-led farm bill rapid response fund.
The current U.S. Farm Bill, known as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, is scheduled to expire in October of this year. Farm bill policies tend to move incrementally rather than with dramatic fanfare, but thanks to an infusion of $20 billion in climate and conservation funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, we have the best opportunity to strengthen USDA conservation programs that we’ve had in several farm bill cycles.
$455,000 in Rapid Response Grants to 49 Organizations
Proposals were invited from organizations that are members of several sustainable agriculture policy coalitions, including:
- NSAC
- HEAL Food Alliance
- National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC)
- Rural Coalition
- Native Farm Bill Coalition
- Intertribal Agriculture Council
- Good Food for All
In keeping with RAF’s strong commitment to advancing racial equity and justice as essential components in a regenerative agricultural system, all funding decisions were made by a peer-led advisory team with representation from NSAC, HEAL, NFFC, and Rural Coalition. To date, the team has awarded $455,000 in rapid response grants to 49 organizations. Applications from organizations led by and serving BIPOC farmers, ranchers and food system stakeholders were prioritized, as well as organizations with annual budgets under $3.5 million.
