SLC - Serving the South

Research / Agriculture

Webinar | March 2021

COVID-19 and American Agriculture II: Agricultural Response and Outlook

Like all sectors of the American economy, the agriculture sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the largest purchasers of agricultural products—including restaurants, schools and hotels—have closed or operated at limited capacity for nearly a year due to the pandemic. Farmers and ranchers have had to adjust their methods to meet these new trends. This program provides an update on how the agriculture sector is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the outlook for American farmers.

Presentations:

Allison Crittenden, Director, Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.
Michael Nepveux, Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.

Webinar | September 2020

COVID-19 and American Agriculture

Nick Bowman

The agriculture sector has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying quarantine policies. Many of the largest purchasers of agricultural products—including restaurants, schools and hotels—have closed or operated at limited capacity for months due to the pandemic. With a supply chain built around these buyers and a shortage of workers, many farmers have been forced to destroy crops, dairy and dairy-related products, and livestock. Dairy farmers have been dumping millions of gallons of milk; chicken processors are destroying hundreds of thousands of eggs; and vegetable farmers are plowing acres of fields. This program outlines how the agriculture sector is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the outlook for American farmers.

Presentations:

Allison Crittenden, Director, Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.
Michael Nepveux, Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.

Agriculture & Rural Development Committee Virtual Program

Webinar | July 2020

Implications of Recent Trade Agreements for the American Farm
Addressing Mental Health in Rural Communities

Nick Bowman

Agriculture & Rural Development Committee Virtual Program

Implications of Recent Trade Agreements for the American Farm

Many in the agriculture sector have heralded the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the Phase-One Agreement with China as unparalleled opportunities to provide their products to growing consumer bases and to promote free and fair trade. This program provides a briefing on these two important trade deals and explores how they could impact the U.S. agricultural sector, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presentation:

Max Moncaster, Director of Public Policy, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Virginia

Addressing Mental Health in Rural Communities

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicides among farmers are 1.5 times higher than the national average. Experts warn that rising farm debt, limited access to mental health resources, harvests impacted by extreme weather, and the lingering impacts of a long-running trade war with China—and now the COVID-19 pandemic—all are contributing to significant stress among those in the agriculture community. This program examines initiatives to increase awareness of rural stress issues and warning signs; identify ways to communicate and cope with stress; and access local resources and support.

Presentation:

Keith Mueller, Head of the Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa

SLC Agriculture & Rural Development Committee

2020-2021
Chair

Senator
Casey Murdock
Oklahoma

2020-2021
Vice Chair

Senator
Tyler Harper
Georgia

Immediate
Past Chair

Senator
Daniel B. Verdin III
South Carolina

Committee
Liaison

Nick Bowman
Policy Analyst

The SLC Agriculture & Rural Development Committee's agenda focuses on issues critical to the future of farming and farm communities, such as the distribution of water and other natural resources – critical for the agricultural sector – and new opportunities for the export of agricultural commodities to international markets. Several reports prepared by the committee have measured the economic impact of the agricultural sector, often considered the "engine of the economy" in most Southern states. The committee's work also centers on the continued development of rural communities, highlighting access to healthcare and transportation; integration with the global economy; the many differences and surprising similarities between rural and urban America; and how to bridge the infrastructure challenges that divide these communities.