Sioux City Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 12, U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Safe American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, which would codify USDA’s role in negotiating regionalization agreements that allow livestock, poultry, and other animal products from unaffected areas of the country to continue to be safely exported in the event of an animal disease outbreak. Although USDA already works with the United States Trade Representative to develop these agreements, this legislation explicitly expresses congressional support for establishing regionalization agreements and promoting robust agricultural trade policies before any animal disease impacts our nation. 

This bill also establishes a notification system within the Import and Export Library to prevent our producers from being impacted by changes in trade status of agricultural commodities and alert the proper agencies, organizations, and State Departments of Agriculture that there have been changes in import or export status. 

“As the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the nation, trade is vital to Iowa’s farmers, producers, and rural economy. In 2021 alone, Iowa exported nearly $14.3 billion worth of agricultural goods, including $3.7 billion in soybeans, $3.1 billion in corn, $2.7 billion in pork, and $592 million in beef. These industries make our families and farm economy succeed,” said Rep. Feenstra. “However, like every producer fears, foreign animal disease can devastate flocks and herds, preventing our farmers from selling their high-quality product on the global market. To rectify this issue, I am proud to introduce legislation with my colleague Rep. Jimmy Panetta that ensures a disease outbreak in one part of the country does not impact Iowa’s ability to produce and export the agricultural goods that our country and the world rely on. As an unwavering advocate for Iowa agriculture, I will work diligently to pass this legislation either in the Farm Bill or on the House floor and hold the Biden Administration accountable for its nonexistent trade agenda so that we can deliver certainty and relief for our producers.”

“Animal disease outbreaks can cause massive disruptions for American producers reaching global markets, even when threats are localized in another part of the country,” said Rep. Panetta. “I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would empower the USDA to preemptively negotiate regionalization agreements that would reduce trade impacts and market disruptions on disease-free producers in the event of an outbreak. Doing so will ensure our producers can continue to meet global food supply demands while maintaining the high food safety standards consumers deserve.”  

“Ensuring turkey is available to consumers is essential to the success of Iowa’s turkey farmers.  When a devastating disease, like highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infect a turkey flock, trade is disrupted, leading to financial losses to the turkey industry,” said Gretta Irwin, Executive Director of the Iowa Turkey Federation. “Preemptively negotiating regionalization agreements for known animal diseases, like HPAI, makes sense.  This bill takes a critical step to ensure turkey products can effortlessly be exported during a disease disruption and reduce financial strain to the turkey industry.”

“State departments of agriculture play a critical role on the frontlines of foreign animal disease prevention, mitigation and recovery, and we appreciate this bipartisan effort to enable farmers and ranchers to more easily export safe food products to our trading partners,” said Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. “More collaboration and communication among federal partners enables state agriculture departments and U.S. farmers to better prepare and respond in the case of an outbreak and ultimately leads to stronger animal health and welfare across the U.S. NASDA thanks Congressmen Feenstra and Panetta for their leadership on this important issue.” 

“Ensuring America’s turkey producers are not unnecessarily restricted in the global market is a common-sense step that would help the turkey industry persevere through the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak,” said Leslee Oden, Sr. Vice President of Legislative Affairs at the National Turkey Federation. “NTF commends Rep. Feenstra (IA-04) for introducing the SAFE Act to aid in updating valuable regionalization agreements with key trading partners as members of the turkey industry simultaneously battle export market disruption and animal health challenges.”  

“We thank Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) for addressing this important issue to ensure our export markets for animal-based feed and pet food products remain open in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak on U.S. soil. Animal-based feed and pet food are an integral yet often overlooked part of the food supply chain. We fully support this bill and efforts of the U.S. government to preemptively take steps now to prevent this situation and protect our economy,” said Constance Cullman, President and CEO of the American Feed Industry Association.

“North American Renderers Association supports the SAFE Act aimed at prioritizing animal disease preparedness in negotiations with our trading partners. We need to pre-act, not react when it comes to finding solutions to keep export markets open,” said Kent Swisher, President and CEO of the North American Renderers Association. “NARA lauds Representatives Feenstra’s and Panetta’s efforts to elevate the need for regionalization agreements with our trading partners to avoid unnecessary market closures.”

You can find legislative text HERE.

Original source can be found here.