The administration change in Washington, D.C. will bring a shuffle, and it is important that we not only follow what is happening, but also engage where needed to be a strong, united voice for crop insurance.

What we know and where you can engage

New House and Senate Members

You are the best voice for crop insurance with your elected officials. With 61+ new House members and 9+ Senate members of the 117th Congress, reaching out to make sure these members understand crop insurance and the key role it plays as a public-private partnership to deliver aid quickly and efficiently, is time well spent. Many may not know that farmers help pay for their own safety net by purchasing crop insurance policies, costing between $3.5 and $4 billion a year. If disaster strikes, they must also shoulder a portion of the losses through deductibles before receiving assistance.

Whether you have new members in your area or not, it is always good to take each and every opportunity to reinforce the importance of crop insurance in the long-term success of agriculture in the U.S.

https://cropinsurance101.org/

Agriculture Leadership Changes

Tom Vilsack is again being tapped for the Secretary of Agriculture. The two-term Iowa Governor previously served in this role under the Obama administration.

While it will take some time for the approval process and required confirmations to take place of USDA officials serving in new key Agriculture leadership roles, being visible through organizations you are involved in to talk about the crop insurance program does make a difference.

President Biden’s Agriculture Policy Priorities

Biden is expected to usher a return to Obama-era ag policy: support for a robust farm safety net, but expanded regulation surrounding environmental protection, farm labor and contracting, and nutrition.

• Addressing climate change through agriculture programs Prioritizing climate-smart agriculture and developing markets for carbon Expanding conservation programs

• Increasing investment in agriculture research and development Funding advanced biofuels research Increasing land-grant university research funding

• Increasing investment in rural broadband network deployment Spending $20 billion on broadband Funding Triple Community Connect broadband grants

• Expanding assistance for small farmers Strengthening antitrust enforcement Increasing beginning farmer assistance spending

• Expanding protections for farmworkers Potentially granting legal status to undocumented farmworkers Providing wage and union protections for farmworkers Changing the H-2A visa program