Although we’ve seen a win for soybean farmers already this summer with the passing of WRRDA, there are a still several other policy efforts that ASA is working on these next few months, from encouraging timely, science based biotech approvals to working for improved railways and trade opportunities. Here’s a highlight of just some of our major efforts and accomplishments and ongoing initiatives in recent months. Stephen Censky, ASA CEO
ASA Applauds Signing of WRRDA Bill into Law–In June, President Barack Obama signed the bipartisan Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) into law. The law contains several of ASA’s key policy priorities, including provisions that will free up significant funding within the Inland Waterways Trust Fund for additional waterways infrastructure projects; increase the level of Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund dollars that will be spent on port maintenance and dredging and streamline the Army Corps of Engineers’ project review process.
ASA Joins Farm Groups in Calling for Extension of Comment Period on Waters of the U.S. – In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, USDA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ASA joined other food and agriculture stakeholder groups in requesting more time to comment on EPA’s proposed interpretive rule on Waters of the United States.
ASA Sends Letter Urging President Obama to Improve the RFS– ASA urged President Barack Obama to intervene and improve the proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) 2014 volume requirements for biomass- based diesel. The letter emphasized how biodiesel has created thousands of jobs in nearly every state in the U.S., has support from numerous members of congress, governors and mayors across the country and how its expansion would have a positive impact on agriculture.
ASA/ISGA Discusses Biotech Approvals on Mission to China– The International Soy Grower Alliance (ISGA) held its first mission to China in March, focusing discussion on the importance of timely biotech approvals in order to meet food demands in China and across the globe. ISGA continued to stress, the only way they will be able to meet China’s and the rest of the world’s food needs is through the adoption of new technologies, including biotechnology.
ASA Promotes U.S. Soy at Oilseed Market and Trade Forum in China– ASA Board Member Alan Kemper, of Lafayette, Ind., spoke in Beijing and visited the Haunshan Group Company, emphasizing that to continue ensuring stable imports of oil seeds and grains, China’s biotech approval process needs to be timely and based on sound science.
ASA Joins the PrecisionAg Institute– ASA represents the first farmer-led organization to join the PrecisionAg Institute and will hold a seat on the Institute’s advisory council, which sets the policy for the organization’s activities and facilitates communication among industry partners and individuals. As a new partner in the Institute, ASA will also play an integral role in a big data workshop this summer at Iowa State University, as well as future precision agriculture educational efforts, advocacy, research activities and award programs that recognize farmers and other industry leaders for their effective use of this technology.
ASA Joins Letter Urging Senate Finance Committee to Increase Barge, Towing Fees to Maintain Inland Waterways– ASA joined 80 other organizations in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee in spring, urging an increase in the user fee that barge and towing companies pay into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. The groups propose the fee be increased to 26-to-29 cents per gallon from 20-cents per gallon of fuel to help modernize the inland waterways.
ASA Sends Transportation, Infrastructure Priorities to Senate Environment & Public Works Committee–ASA reiterated its top transportation and infrastructure priorities for soy growers a letter to members of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, as they considered the potential mark-up of a surface transportation reauthorization bill in May. Included in ASA’s priorities were: increasing revenue for the Highway Trust Fund to maintain and improve surface transportation infrastructure; maintaining exemption for agriculture regarding hours of service and an increase in truck weight limits as proposed in H.R. 612, the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (SETA).
ASA Meets with White House and FDA on PHO Proposal–ASA Chairman Danny Murphy, CEO Steve Censky and NOPA President Tom Hammer met with the White House Domestic Policy Staff and FDA to discuss ASA’s concerns with the FDA’s proposal to withdraw Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) status for partially hydrogenated oils (PHO). ASA shared projections for high oleic soybean production ramp up provided by QUALISOY, emphasizing that not only is more time required, but that the withdrawal of GRAS, even if postponed to 2018 or 2020, will have the immediate effect of driving food companies to substitute highly-saturated palm oil since no company wants to have an ingredient in their product for multiple years that the FDA says is “unsafe.”
ASA Endorses Letter to Encourage Full Market Access for Agriculture Products in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) – ASA recently joined several agriculture groups in signing on a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack praising previous efforts to expand market access, but seeking assurances that the U.S. will not close Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations unless Japan agrees to eliminate tariff and non-tariff trade barriers to agriculture.
ASA Testifies Regarding Rail Service Issues at Surface Transportation Board Public Hearing–The American Soybean Association (ASA) emphasized the importance of addressing rail service issues and their negative impacts on soybean growers, at a public hearing before the Surface Transportation Board. ASA Director Lance Peterson, Underwood, Minn., represented ASA at the hearing in Washington D.C., highlighting the great impact the railways have on soybean farmers who rely on the transportation to get their crop to the growing world population.
Soybean Growers Welcome Introduction of Federal GMO Labeling Legislation– ASA welcomed the introduction of new legislation to establish a federal voluntary labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act would direct FDA to provide guidance for companies that wish to label their products for the presence or absence of GMOs; make mandatory an FDA safety review of all new GMO traits before they are brought to market and additionally, eliminate a large potential source of confusion among consumers by establishing FDA’s labeling guidance as the national standard and preventing states from enacting a patchwork of conflicting requirements.
