Key Takeaways

• NASDA has identified five key issues for 2025, including a new farm bill and improved food systems.
• The association is advocating for streamlined pesticide regulations and addressing PFAS contamination challenges.
• Funding for state food safety programs is crucial to maintain inspection capabilities amid potential budget cuts.

Focus Areas for Agriculture in 2025

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has set its sights on five significant priorities for 2025, aiming to bolster support for farmers and ranchers. The primary goals include advocating for a new farm bill, enhancing food systems, streamlining pesticide regulations, addressing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) issues, and securing funding for state food safety programs.

According to NASDA CEO Ted McKinney, these focus areas offer crucial opportunities for state agriculture departments to implement impactful changes and develop effective policy solutions. One of the highlighted priorities is the strengthening of regional food systems and supply chains. NASDA plans to promote policies that encourage local procurement in federal feeding programs, thereby linking local food systems with nutrition security and health initiatives, such as those advocating for food as medicine. Discussions on integrating local and regional food systems were particularly prominent during the association’s annual meeting, where state leaders identified prospects for improving nutrition and local markets.

Regarding the challenges presented by PFAS, NASDA reassured that the U.S. food supply remains safe, with most food items testing below detectable levels of these chemicals. The organization aims to advocate for a federal framework that empowers states to tackle chemical contamination and demands scientific expertise in setting threshold levels for PFAS in food products. Additionally, NASDA supports initiatives to remediate PFAS-affected land and seeks increased state resources and financial assistance for farmers dealing with contamination.

Pesticide regulations are also a critical concern for NASDA, which has been actively involved in addressing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, particularly the alignment of these regulations with the Endangered Species Act. NASDA has expressed apprehension that proposed regulatory changes may be overly stringent and lack the necessary transparency. The association warns that compliance with the draft EPA strategies may impose excessive costs on growers and complicate enforcement for state agencies. As a result, NASDA advocates for collaboration and stakeholder engagement during the federal pesticide regulation process.

Additionally, NASDA is focused on securing increased funding for state-level food safety inspection programs. Many states operate under cooperative agreements with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to handle the majority of inspections at food production facilities. However, with warnings from the FDA about impending budget cuts, states fear that they may have to terminate these cooperative agreements, leading to increased reliance on federal inspections at potentially higher costs. To address these concerns, NASDA emphasizes the need for immediate attention to the FDA’s State and Local Food Safety Programs, as well as USDA’s State Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs and Animal Disease Protection Program.

In its agenda for the upcoming farm bill, NASDA has highlighted ten critical areas for supporting food and resource production, including agricultural research, animal health, conservation, cybersecurity, food safety, hemp production, invasive species management, local food systems, specialty crop block grants, and trade promotion. These topics will be further discussed at NASDA’s winter conference in Washington, D.C., next month as the group coordinates efforts to address the agricultural challenges ahead.

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