July 15, 2023 - Tribal Business News
Tribal Business News recently featured the Native Farm Bill Coalition in an article titled "New 'Seeds & Breeds' legislation proposes $75M for research on regional varieties of plants and animals." Read an excerpt of the article below:
A joint statement from Native Farm Bill Coalition Co-Chairs Kari Jo Lawrence and Cole Miller said the measure would support Native efforts to improve health in their communities through localized food and research. In this way, the bill falls in line with the NFBC’s priorities for this year’s farm bill, supporting food sovereignty and strengthening supply chains if passed, the statement reads.
“This legislation protects tribal seeds, promotes collaboration with tribal colleges and universities and prioritizes grants for public cultivars and animal breeds that will enhance the nutritional health outcomes of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities,” Lawrence and Miller wrote.
The Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act could be another tool in a growing toolbelt of self-determination in food choices and food traditions for Native producers. That’s a major priority for the Native Farm Bill Coalition going into a September vote on the 2023 Farm Bill, where the group has made over 150 policy suggestions to improve agriculture in Indian Country.
In particular, a push for programs under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act’s section 93-638, which allows tribes to take over administration of federal programs to their constituents, comprises a large portion of the NFBC’s policy slate. Successful pilot programs saw tribes turning to regionally grown foods for their Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or FDPIR, distributions.
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