During this week 2024 Winter Policy Conferencemembers of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture adopted 11 policy changes and four action items, addressing issues such as mRNA vaccines, agricultural labor shortages and inspection programs of meat and poultry.
Access approved vaccine technologies
NASDA approved a policy change supporting the ability of farmers and ranchers to protect animal health through the responsible use of vaccines. Members also emphasized the importance of using vaccines that have undergone a thorough USDA and FDA approval and licensing process, ensuring a solid foundation of scientific and peer-reviewed research.
“Our farmers and ranchers must have the ability to protect animal health against foreign and emerging diseases. Vaccines developed and researched through an approved scientific and regulatory process are one tool that helps producers do that,” said NASDA CEO Ted McKinney. “NASDA’s priority is the welfare of pets animal and public health, and we must ensure that farmers and ranchers have access to approved mRNA vaccines to ensure the health of their animals and provide a safe and resilient food supply.”
NASDA supports a robust federal approval and review process for any new vaccine or other animal health tool that may be used to protect the domestic livestock industry from existing or emerging foreign disease outbreaks or domestic animals, animal welfare and public health. Currently, no mRNA vaccines are approved for administration to livestock in the US although an RNA vaccine is licensed for use in pigs. Research and scientific evaluation of mRNA vaccines in animals is essential to give cattle producers access to all approved and available technologies.
Address labor shortages
NASDA members encouraged federal agencies to develop strategies that address agricultural labor shortages nationwide. The action item urges the USDA, the United States Department of Labor and the United States Department of Homeland Security to immediately collaborate on a strategy to secure the workforce and ensure the success of the nation’s agricultural industry. NASDA is simultaneously urging Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform to ease agricultural worker challenges.
“Labor shortages in the agricultural industry affect the entire supply chain, making it harder for the country to compete in the global marketplace and threatening our overall food and national security,” McKinney said. “With many changes in wage rates and proposed regulations over the past several months and years, NASDA members are navigating this issue in their states as farmers and ranchers operate in a complex environment of regulation. Our producers need the federal agencies that oversee the H-2A and H-2B process, specifically the Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security, to work with the USDA to develop a long-term strategy for addressing these challenges this.”
Stabilize costs, maintain processing capacity
NASDA members also pass a action item emphasizes the need to continue full federal cost-share for state meat and poultry inspection programs.
“To continue to support and expand the meat processing industry and the livestock sector, Congress and USDA must ensure that consistent and reliable funding is available to maintain state meat and poultry inspection programs,” said NASDA President Oklahoma Agriculture Secretary Blayne Arthur. “State meat inspection programs provide essential services for meat processors in many states. Recent funding shortfalls harm the stability of state programs and must be addressed immediately.”
With the new action item, NASDA members will urge Congress to require USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service to provide at least 50% matching funding to state departments of agriculture to ensure the viability of state meat and poultry inspection programs. NASDA will also advocate for increased federal appropriations to the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service to ensure the agency can adequately fund these important state programs.
State departments of agriculture play a leading role in coordinating with local processors and hold regulatory authority over state-inspected meat processing facilities. Twenty-nine state departments of agriculture operate state meat and poultry inspection programs and NASDA emphasizes the important cooperation between state and federal meat inspection programs both intrastate and interstate. commerce, as outlined in NASDA policy.
Enforce pet food label regulations
NASDA voted to support consistency and transparency in pet food labels. This action item state feed regulatory programs with pet food authority are encouraged to use the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food expeditiously and consistently while respecting individual state legal authorities and regulatory processes.
“Pet food labels, like any other food label, should be clear and easy to understand so that pet owners can make informed decisions about what they feed their pets,” Arthur said. “State feed regulatory programs agree to exercise enforcement discretion in reviewing pet food labels. This action item demonstrates NASDA members’ commitment to transparent and consistent pet food labels across the United States. It prioritizes a seamless transition to the AAFCO model regulations adopted by its membership and endorsed by the pet food industry. NASDA looks forward to working with AAFCO and industry representatives.”
Since 2015, AAFCO has been working with stakeholders to modernize regulations for pet food labeling, aiming to provide consumers and regulators with labeling information that is easy to understand and in a format that familiar to consumers. AAFCO recently approved its new Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food, and the next step is for states to implement the regulations according to their own rulemaking process.
AAFCO and the pet food industry have agreed to a six-year grace period, during which state regulatory programs are encouraged to use enforcement discretion in reviewing pet food labels. animal NASDA supports this effort to achieve a seamless transition to the new labels. The Association of American Feed Control Officials is an affiliate of NASDA.
