NCG tracks the federal Farm Bill process closely and works with allies to advocate for policies that reflect food co-ops’ priorities. In addition to the National Organic Program, conservation programs and other agriculture programs, this massive piece of legislation governs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that millions of people in the U.S. rely on to buy food for themselves and their families.

One of NCG’s focal areas is advocating for SNAP and SNAP programs (like fruit and vegetable incentives), specifically looking to make sure that food co-ops are eligible and able to be authorized to accept SNAP benefits at the register.

Catching an Unintended Setback for Co-op SNAP Eligibility

Thanks to NCG’s engagement in this process, we were able to catch unintentionally and potentially limiting language in a proposed piece of legislation that would prohibit owners of grocery stores from being eligible to redeem SNAP benefits at their own store. We found this troubling bit in the draft of the Farm Bill released by the House Agriculture Committee in May (2024). For co-ops, as written, this law could have been interpreted to mean that owners (members) of your co-op would not be eligible to pay with SNAP benefits at their co-op. Again, while the law wasn’t aimed at us, it would have set us up for decades of potential confusion.

NCG has worked for many years with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) to clear up confusion about food co-ops and their eligibility for SNAP reauthorization. So, we are aware of exactly how much of a setback this could have been!

Working with Congress to Resolve the Problem

Fortunately, NCG was able to work with the lead nutrition staffer on the House Agriculture Committee, who works for Committee Chairman Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA15) to alert her to the problematic section. We also contacted other staffers for Reps. on the House Agriculture Committee, for back up as well.

Requesting a technical correction at this early stage of the House bill’s mark-up process was a strategic move and it paid off. Language excepting food co-ops from this limitation was inserted into Rep. Thompson’s mark-up of his own bill, known as a “manager’s amendment,” and therefore will appear in the bill that the House may ultimately be asked to vote on.

A Strategic Win, but the Quest Continues

Although we were relieved to achieve this technical correction, there are still many ways in which the House version of the bill falls well short of food co-ops’ overall goals for the Farm Bill. We will continue to advocate for improvements as we wait for a final version of a Farm Bill that House and Senate Agriculture Committees can agree on.

Background on the Farm Bill Process

The process to get the Farm Bill passed by Congress is a long, often unpredictable one. Generally speaking, first, both the Senate and House Agriculture Committee leaders draft their own versions of the Farm Bill, which they then release for members of Congress, advocacy and lobby groups and the general public to read, review and propose revisions before the committees reconsider the draft bills and make revisions (also called “mark-up” process). This is the beginning of the necessary negotiations between the House and Senate Committees that ultimately will bring both bills into alignment. It can take a long time, but once bills are aligned, the next step is for Congress to vote on both sides (House and Senate) to pass the legislation, which the President could then sign into law.

NCG is engaged at all stages of this process, from advocating for food co-op priorities to be included in draft legislation, raising a consumer call to action for these priorities, to reviewing drafts and working behind the scenes to ensure proposals are aligned with co-ops’ needs (as in the case above). When there is a final proposed Farm Bill drafted and available to the public, we will work with our nonprofit allies to evaluate it and determine a strategy that has the best chance of resulting in a Farm Bill that reflects food co-ops’ shared goals. This could involve another call to action, so stay tuned. We want the Farm Bill that our farmers, people and communities need. Even once a bill has passed, NCG will continue to advocate to make sure that programs are fully funded through the “Appropriations” or budgeting process and that federal agencies interpret the new legislation in the way food co-ops intended. And then we’ll get to work strategizing with allies for the next Farm Bill cycle!