The National Young Farmers Coalition, which represents, mobilizes and engages young farmers and ranchers, released comments following the House Agriculture Committee’s passing of the Budget Reconciliation bill, calling for deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and NYFC said it sidelines key investments for the next generation of farmers.
“This budget proposal is a betrayal of the values that sustain our food system. These are not the investments young farmers need,” said Erin Foster West, policy campaigns director of the National Young Farmers Coalition. “Instead of passing a bipartisan farm bill that builds resilience for farmers and families alike, this bill fast-tracks harmful cuts to nutrition programs that serve as both a safety net for families and a revenue stream for farmers. It trades long-term food security for short-term austerity.”
NYFC said the legislation proposes over $300 billion in cuts from the nutrition title of the farm bill — specifically targeting SNAP. NYFC said SNAP is one of the few programs that supports both food access and farm viability simultaneously.
“Accepting SNAP is essential,” said Kaitlyn Kimball of Sunset Farm in Connecticut, a young farmer and SNAP-authorized vendor. “It makes our produce accessible and supports our business. Cutting this program means cutting off our customers and cutting into our livelihoods.”
NYFC said the SNAP program supports more than 42 million Americans, including children, seniors, veterans and working families and supports 400,000 jobs across farms, grocery stores and markets. The Reconciliation Bill would impose new eligibility restrictions, work requirements and other changes that could kick at least 3 million people out of the program, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“SNAP isn’t just an anti-poverty program — it’s farm policy,” said David Howard, policy development director at the National Young Farmers Coalition. “And young farmers can’t thrive in a system that forces us to choose between feeding our communities and supporting our businesses. Congress must reject this bill and return to the work of crafting a bipartisan farm bill that reflects the needs of a sustainable, inclusive and resilient food system.”
NYFC said the bill also increases Title I subsidies that primarily benefit large commodity operations.
“The Inflation Reduction Act has been a critical resource for farmers who are interested in both feeding their communities and protecting our environment. While we are pleased to see that the remaining unobligated IRA funding has been rolled into the baseline for farm bill conservation programs, we ask that Congress reinstate the climate focus of those funds,” said Lotanna Obodozie, climate policy director of the National Young Farmers Coalition.
