action alert

September 11, 2009 in Food + Ag politics

this is worthwhile – from the national organic coalition. They need folks to sign on today!

URGENT ACTION ALERT from NOC and RAFI-USA
TELL USDA TO FUND PUBLIC PLANT & ANIMAL BREEDING FOR SUSTAINABLE AND ORGANIC FARMERS
SIGN ON BY September 11; COMMENTS DUE BY September 14

SIGN ON to Comments on AFRI — the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
To view and sign on to the letter, click here

The Farm Bill of 2008 specifies conventional plant and animal breeding as a new priority area of research within the AFRI program. CSREES (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) did not follow through with this Farm Bill commitment. The RFA released in January 2009 did not specify public plant and animal breeding, which develops publicly-held new cultivars and improved breeds as separate categories, and thus the focus of the program remained on the formerly funded genomics-oriented projects. Public plant and animal breeders were not funded, despite their inclusion in the program.

USDA is now accepting comments on the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) implementation of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Now is the time to tell USDA to fund the re-invigoration of Public plant and animal breeding to meet to coming challenges of global climate change and the needs of sustainable and organic farmers.

Read our comments *here* and SIGN ON by FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11 – SEND YOUR NAME AND ORGANIZATION NAME TO sally@rafiusa.org. Individuals, farms, and organizations are welcome

Send in your own Comments!

If you would like to say more or are unable to sign on to our comments, please consider sending in your own comments. The deadline for submitting comments is September 14.

Written stakeholder comments should be submitted by mail to: Policy and Oversight Branch; Office of Extramural Programs; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; USDA; STOP 2299; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20250-2299; or via e-mail to: RFP-OEP@csrees.usda.gov. (This e-mail address is for comments only.) Make sure your comments and subject line read: AFRI RFA.

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