U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) recently introduced legislation that would enable animal products from unaffected areas to continue to be safely exported in the event of an animal disease outbreak.
The Safe American Food Exports (SAFE) Act would structure the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) role in negotiating regionalization agreements and promotes agricultural trade policies before any animal disease impacts the nation.
The measure also establishes a notification system within the Import and Export Library to prevent producers from being impacted by changes in trade status of agricultural commodities and alert the proper agencies, organizations and State Departments of Agriculture of 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,”
Feenstra said. “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.”
Feenstra said the legislation ensures a disease outbreak in one part of the country does not impact Iowa’s ability to produce and export the agricultural goods on which the country relies.
“Animal disease outbreaks can cause massive disruptions for American producers reaching global markets, even when threats are localized in another part of the country,” Panetta said. “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.”