Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) took to the Senate floor on Tuesday afternoon calling on his colleagues to vote for a farm bill amendment he introduced with U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.). The amendment commissions a pair of studies on the feasibility of insurance programs to protect America’s poultry growers from catastrophic loss, such as disease outbreaks, and from bankruptcies of poultry integrators. The amendment is now part of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240), which the Senate is expected to vote later this week.
Senator Coons visited the University of Delaware on Monday to welcome participants at the Emergency Poultry Disease Response Certificate Program (EPDR). The program runs from June 18 to June 21 and features a consortium of local and international scientists and policy makers.
“This program involves cooperation among all levels of government, as well as commercial producers, backyard flock owners and top-flight research universities,” Chris said. “This is how we get things done in Delaware, and I’m proud we are working to share our knowledge and experience with poultry growers in other countries around the world.”
Chris is an outspoken supporter of Delaware’s poultry farmers. Last week, he joined with Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) to introduce an amendment to the farm bill currently being considered by the Senate that would commission studies on the practicality of insurance policies for farmers in case of a catastrophic event like a poultry company bankruptcy or poultry disease outbreak.
The EPDR Certificate Program is a four-day certificate course taught at the University of Delaware. Participants have the opportunity to learn about emergency procedures developed by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, University of Delaware faculty and agriculture industry professionals for outbreaks of poultry disease. The program also works to help foster closer ties between the United States, foreign officials and poultry industry professionals. This year’s attendees include a global roster of attendees representing countries such as Uganda, Bolivia, Israel and Japan.
On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which he called “The People’s Department.” At the time, nearly half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with only about 2 percent today. However, agriculture continues to be a cornerstone of our American heritage and a major driving force in our economy, with more than 2.2 billion acres of farmland across the United States and one in twelve jobs linked to agriculture or forestry.
One hundred and fifty years later, the USDA remains a department of the people. The department’s work on a broad range of issues – from international trade and economic development, next generation energy development and technological innovation, natural resource conservation and recreation, food safety and nutrition, to research and science – touches nearly every aspect of American life.
Agriculture is a vital force in Delaware’s economy and remains an integral part of our community. In 2008, agriculture in Delaware contributed nearly $8 billion to the economy and supported roughly 30,000 jobs. Sussex County, the birthplace of the modern poultry industry, produces more chickens than any other county in the United States. Delaware also has the highest percentage of preserved, productive farmland of any state in the nation. In addition, the University of Delaware, which was designated as one of the nation’s historic Land Grant colleges in 1867, is conducting cutting edge research, providing critical services, and participating in vital partnerships with Delaware’s agriculture sector.
Senator Coons congratulates the USDA on a fantastic first 150 years and looks forward to continuing to work together to address our nation’s agricultural challenges.
Since the United Nations General Assembly first invited member states to proclaim March 8 as International Women’s Day in 1977, many countries pause to mark the innumerable contributions women have made in their country and around the world. The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2012 is Empower Women – End Hunger and Poverty.
As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, Senator Coons knows that in order to increase the quality of life for Africans, women must have a seat at the table and play an integral role in national decisions. This can only occur when countries invest in educating girls and boys equally and provide access to primary health care services.
The scourge of malaria impacts all kinds of people, but the majority of those killed are pregnant women and children under five years old. Senator Coons is a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Working Group on Malaria to raise Congressional awareness of U.S. efforts to stem the tide of malaria across the globe. Malaria, an infectious blood disease spread by mosquitoes, is most prevalent in the developing world, with 90 percent of deaths occurring in Africa. In June, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution sponsored by Chris that supports the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day, and affirmed support for U.S. leadership to combat malaria as a critical component of the President’s Global Health Initiative.
Women play a critical role in agriculture, which forms the foundation of the economy for the rural poor. Worldwide roughly 1.6 billion women rely on farming for their livelihoods, and female farmers produce more than half of the world’s food. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, women account for 75 percent of all the agricultural producers. Due to the lack of information technology and the inability to connect rural enterprises to banks, many women in developing nations face greater obstacles than men when it comes to increasing their productivity and income.
One way women are working together to improve their communities and income is through cooperatives (co-ops) a type of business characterized by democratic ownership where farmers pool their resources for mutual economic benefit. In the war-torn country of Côte d’Ivoire, Marium Gnire partnered with Slow Foods International to organize a women’s farming co-op that would provide quality local food for school meals in her village of N’Ganon, increasing both the women’s income and the health of the community. Co-ops have been immensely successful in improving the lives of women and their families.
International Women’s Day is a time for reflection on the role women have played and continue to play in the betterment of our society and our world.
Senator Chris Coons met with members of the Delaware Farm Bureau on Tuesday to discuss the past, present, and future of Delaware’s agricultural sector. Senator Tom Carper and Representative John Carney were also in attendance.
During the meeting, Chris highlighted some of his current work to advance Delaware’s agriculture, including his support for reauthorization of the farm bill. Chris is very supportive of conservation programs in the farm bill, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and is working to protect funding for them. He is also a cosponsor of Senator Debbie Stabenow’s Grow it Here, Make it Here Biobased Manufacturing Act, which would help expand the advanced biofuels and bio-based manufacturing industries, using agricultural goods to make value-added products and create jobs.
Additionally, Chris discussed his recent visit to Cuba and Colombia in February with several other members of Congress where he promoted Delaware products, including poultry, soybeans, and soft red winter wheat.
The Farm Bureau meeting occurred on the same day as an announcement by the White House to sharpen efforts to protect the U.S. poultry industry and ensure fair trade policies with India. Chris was a leader in the Senate on this issue, leading a bipartisan group of 19 senators on a letter to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk urging him to resolve India’s longstanding, non-scientifically based restrictions on American poultry.
In today’s global economy, it is critical for American businesses to be able to sell their goods and services to customers overseas. President Obama focused on trade as an important element of our economic recovery in his State of the Union address this week, saying “I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products.”
Senator Coons has been fighting to ensure Delaware businesses have access to the more than 95 percent of the world’s consumers who live outside the United States. Earlier this year, he supported a free trade deal with the Republic of Korea, noting that Korean company Harim’s investments in Delaware’s poultry industry clearly demonstrate the value of strong trade relations with Korea.
However, President Obama also laid out solutions for addressing trade relationships that don’t go quite so smoothly. In his address and an accompanying policy memo, he announced the creation of a new Trade Enforcement Unit to investigate unfair trade practices around the world. Chris is currently working with the U.S. Trade Representative to try and resolve an issue like this, where India has put unfair restrictions on American poultry.
President Obama also announced enhanced trade inspections, procedures which would be made easier by bipartisan legislation Chris authored with Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), which would allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection legal access to tools like UPC codes and product samples that help them track counterfeit products coming in to the U.S. Chris also co-sponsored legislation to provide more resources to support trade enforcement that has been signed into the law of the land.
When it comes to trade, the most important tool we can provide to American businesses is a level playing field, and the new efforts announced last night will help ensure no foreign company has an advantage over products that are “Made in the USA, Manufactured in Delaware.”
Senator Coons introduced Delawarean Michael Scuse at a hearing for his nomination to be the Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and his nomination to serve on the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation at the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry earlier today.
BRIDGEVILLE, Del. — In a visit Tuesday to the T.S. Smith & Sons’ farm in Bridgeville — the only solar-powered Century Farm in Delaware — Chris reiterated his commitment to helping small agricultural businesses integrate renewable energy into their operations. Senator Coons has introduced legislation that would extend the federal renewable-energy program that financed part of the T.S. Smith & Sons solar project.
“T.S. Smith & Sons is a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and a leader in Delaware’s farming community,” Chris said. “I’m sure Thomas Sterling Smith would be proud of the investments his great-grandsons have made to ensure that their farm remains a profitable, sustainable, and environmentally sound business. That’s why I feel so strongly about supporting the extension of the successful 1603 Treasury Grants Program to help businesses finance alternative energy resources. Without this kind of program, farms like these would have much greater difficulty financing clean energy investments.”
First introduced as part of the American Recovery Act of 2009, the U.S. Treasury Department’s 1603 Program is used to reimburse eligible businesses for a portion of the cost of installing specified energy projects. A one-year extension of the 1603 Program is a key part of Senator Coons’ Job Creation Through Innovation Act, which he introduced in April.
After meeting with representatives from Solair Energy at the University of Delaware’s 2010 Agriculture Week, the Smith family decided it wanted to pursue investments in solar energy on its farm. In May 2011, the farm publicly unveiled 178 ground-mounted Solair solar panels that were manufactured at Motech Solar’s plant in Newark. The solar panels produce around 43 kw of power, drastically reducing the farm’s $25,000 annual electric bill.
“The fact that T.S. Smith & Sons is running on solar panels that were manufactured in Delaware is a great testament to the strength of the renewable energy sector in our state,” Chris said. “I look forward to continuing my work with members of Delaware’s energy community to encourage more businesses powered by clean energy to set-up shop in the First State and bring good-quality jobs to our communities.”
Founded in 1907 by Thomas Sterling Smith, T.S. Smith & Sons is an 800-acre farm that grows a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, selling them to retail locations and restaurants in the surrounding area. The current, fourth-generation owners are: Matt, Charlie and Tom Smith and Susan Hayes. In addition to solar power, the farm makes a conscious effort to employ technologies that conserve water and soil.
Hurricane Irene had a significant impact on our state, damaging buildings and forcing many Delaware small business owners to worry about how they would finance repairs. Fortunately, after a request from Governor Markell on October 18, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is now making low-interest disaster loans available to Delaware small businesses, small agriculture cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses, and most private non-profit organizations.
An application must be completed in order for small businesses and non-profit organizations to receive Economic Injury Disaster Loans from SBA. These loans will help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster with the rates on these loans at 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Please note, the SBA determines eligibility for the loans based on the size and type of business and its financial resources. Eligible entities may qualify for loans up to $2 million. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 20, 2012.
For more information on the SBA Disaster Loan Program and Applications Delawareans are welcome to call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by send an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Furthermore, loan applications can be downloaded at www.sba.gov.
Please be sure to return completed applications to the Center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons joined eight of his colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Charitable Agricultural Research Act, which will spur new agricultural research, leveraging private dollars to create charitable partnerships between universities and private entities to strengthen and improve American agriculture. The bill amends the tax code to allow for the creation of a new type of charitable, tax-exempt organization, agricultural research organizations, similar to medical research organizations which have been in existence since the 1950s
“In order for our rural communities to remain vibrant and sustainable, we must invest in agricultural research,” Chris said. “Partnering university research with private sector innovation allows both our institutions and industries to work collaboratively to grow our economy. I am pleased that I could join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to fight for the future of one of America’s most important economic sectors, our farming industry.”
Over the last 60 years, agricultural research has expanded food production significantly. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, farm productivity has risen 158% since 1948; this increase can be largely attributed to research, through the implementation of improved farming practices and the use of new agricultural technologies. Today, the United States produces $312 billion in agricultural products and exports $108 billion annually.
However, agricultural scientists warn that failing to invest in agricultural research could spell disaster for the future of American food security and safety. Agricultural research funding has become stagnant and has fallen far behind other federal agencies since the 1970s. The Charitable Agricultural Research Act seeks to address these challenges by creating agricultural research organizations (AROs) that would work in conjunction with agricultural and land-grant colleges and universities to conduct research in the field of agriculture. To accomplish this, a new section allowing for donations to agricultural research would be added immediately below the portion of the current tax code that provides for charitable contributions to medical research organizations.
Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Thune (R-SD) are the lead sponsors of the bill. Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is a cosponsor.
To learn more about Senator Coons’ work to protect America’s agriculture, click here.
