Congress has passed another one-week extension on the Farm Bill, and negotiations continue. Members of the House and Senate are hopeful that a deal can be reached by May 2. There’s still time to contact your senators and representative and tell them to keep our food safe. 

Authorization for the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, a critical first step in establishing long-term funding for this important program, is included in the Farm Bill. This crucial resource is utilized by veterinarians to ensure the food derived from animals is safe to eat, and this is one more reason why you need to take action today to ask Congress to keep this provision in the Farm Bill.

According to DVM News, the Farm Bill includes: the authorization of “$2.5 million per year through 2012 for the financially strapped Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database (FARAD). The program was established in 1982 to provide veterinarians information on how to rid livestock of drugs and contaminants.”

Another critical issue affecting food safety – a provision to increase the number of veterinarians who inspect and treat the cows, pigs, chickens, turkey, fish and other food animals we eat – is also at risk of being cut from the bill. The Veterinary Workforce Grant Program would establish a competitive grant program to increase the number of veterinarians trained in agricultural biosecurity. This essential funding would be used by our nation's veterinary schools to increase capacity by building more classrooms and labs. Tell Congress to also keep this essential program in the Farm Bill.

The “Farm Bill” is an omnibus, multiyear authorizing law that contains major farm and nutrition programs. The most recent omnibus farm bill, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171), expired in September 2007. While the heart of every omnibus farm bill is farm income and commodity price support, the farm bill typically encompasses a wide variety of issues and programs including agriculture trade and foreign food aid, conservation and environment, forestry, domestic food assistance (primarily food stamps), agricultural credit, rural development, agricultural research and education programs. In addition, the farm bill often contains farm marketing, energy, food safety, and animal health and welfare provisions.

Take action today on FARAD and the Veterinary Workforce Grant Program to keep our food safe.