Congressman Brown Co-Sponsors Eat Healthy America Act
Washington,
Sep 27 -
Today, Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC) joined with House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Rep. John Salazar (D-CO), and Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) as an original co-sponsor of the Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act (EAT Healthy America Act). According to USDA data, specialty crops represent more than $50 billion in farm-gate value and account for more than 45 percent of farm-gate crop receipts.
“I am proud to have the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, SC. At this laboratory, valuable research on and development of specialty crops such as locally grown South Carolina watermelons is being done to make these crops more productive and increase their resistance to a variety of insects and fruit and vegetable diseases,” said Brown. This legislation will increase market access, encourage and facilitate consumption of nutritious products, fund research programs and increase opportunities for family farmers in conservation programs.
More specifically, the EAT Healthy America Act focuses on the following issues:
Competitiveness: Increases access to valuable export markets by increasing the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program and the Market Access Program and by raising the profile of specialty crops within USDA, USTR, and other key federal agencies. Expands the Specialty Crop Block Grant program to assist local growers with the specific investments they need to increase competitiveness.
Nutrition: Requires federal feeding programs, including the school lunch and school breakfast programs, to adhere to the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines. Expands the fruit and vegetable snack program in schools across the nation and develops new nutrition promotion programs to assist producers in enhancing their markets.
Research: Significant new investment in research priorities for specialty crops, through the National Research Initiative, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and Agriculture Research Service (ARS). Increases research into the prevention of invasive plant pests and diseases.
Conservation: Increases opportunities for specialty crop producers to access conservation programs by recognizing the unique characteristics of their farming operations in formula allocations and funding priorities.
