What Does the Missed Farm Bill Deadline Mean for Sustainable Ag, with Renee Munasifi

When the U.S. Congress missed a key deadline to extend or renew the Farm Bill last month, it was not without precedent.

But it is concerning, nonetheless, for growers who count on this massive piece of agriculture policy to lay the groundwork for everything from crop insurance to food stamps to sustainable ag incentives.

So in this episode of the FARMSMART Podcast, we're talking to Renee Munasifi, Senior Director of Global Government & Industry Affairs at Nutrien, about what the Farm Bill's expiration means for growers.

She'll explain how Congress could still act before the end of the year, and what could happen if they don't, as well as the importance of growers reaching out to their elected representatives now to get them to take action.

We'll also explore what different election outcomes might mean for sustainable ag policy, and how Nutrien's public affairs team is working to give growers the tools they need to provide sustainable food, fiber and fuel for the world.

Episode Transcript

Renee Munasifi

It's not impossible for a new farm bill to get done, but it's just looking very unlikely with where things are at right now. And that's unfortunate because I think growers deserve more predictability and certainty when it comes to ag policy.

Dusty Weis

Welcome to the FARMSMART Podcast, presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions, where every month, we’re talking to sustainable agriculture experts from throughout the industry.

As the leading source of insight for growers on evolving their sustainability practices while staying grounded in agronomic proof, FARMSMART is where sustainability meets opportunity. 

Sally Flis

We don’t just talk change – we're out in the field, helping you identify the products, practices and technologies that bring the future to your fields, faster.

I’m Dr. Sally Flis, Director of Program Design and Outcome Management.

Dusty Weis

And I'm Dusty Weis, and we're joined now by Renee Munasifi, Senior Director of Global Government & Industry Affairs at Nutrien. 

So, Rene, thank you so much for joining us.

Renee Munasifi

Dusty, great to be here with you and Sally. Thanks for having me.

Dusty Weis

Absolutely, Renee. We wanted to check in with you today because there is some big policy news out of Washington that affects not just the world of sustainable ag, but also just the world of North American agriculture in general. It's one of those things that even if you're focused on what you've got going on in your own field, you're focused on bringing in the crops for harvest here this year, you've still heard about it, you've probably wondered about it.

So we wanted to ask you, and that is that the U.S. Congress has missed the deadline to pass an updated farm bill. The farm bill, of course, includes crop insurance, food stamps, subsidies, sustainable ag incentives, all sorts of things that we're counting on out in farm country to help us provide food, fuel and fiber for the world. 

So you're one of our experts in DC. Bottom line up top. What does this mean for growers?

Renee Munasifi

Well that's right, Dusty. So the current farm bill expired at the end of September. There is some talk about getting something done before Congress recessed until after the November 5th election. 

But of course, that time has passed. But, you know, it's not really uncommon for farm bills to expire. So in 2002, the farm bill expired and was extended. The 2008 farm bill expired in 2012, and was extended, and then the 2014 farm bill expired in the fall of 2018 before another one was passed. So now the current farm bill, which is the 2018 farm bill, expired last year before it was extended, and now the 2018 farm bill has expired and the extension has expired. So it's not unprecedented.

I remember I worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture when we had to change all of the 2007 farm bill references to the 2008 farm bill after Congress overrode a presidential veto. So the farm bill has had a bumpy path. And that's unfortunate because I think growers deserve more predictability and certainty when it comes to ag policy. 

But what it means for growers, I think the majority of the programs will continue through the end of the calendar year without interruption. So that includes crop insurance. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be unchanged as long as there isn't an extended government shutdown. And then a lot of the conservation programs are funded through actually 2031 because of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

But January 1st, I think without a farm bill or an extension, that's where we hit the dairy cliff, where we would revert to permanent law, which is the 1949 ag policy.

That's the major tipping point, I think, for getting something enacted and not letting that happen. We can all agree a lot has changed in ag policy since 1949.

Sally Flis

That is a long time ago and lots of production levels. What we do in the field, what we want to incentivize through some of the programs in the farm bill have changed a lot. So you mentioned that the funding for the conservation practices is now a lot more tied to that Inflation Reduction Act. What does that mean as we start to look at that title in the farm bill for conservation and USDA, as they are making changes, or will they make any changes to that 2018 title when they look to a new farm bill?

Renee Munasifi

Sure. I think that's part of what's getting caught up into how do we do a new farm bill, and what are we going to do with those programs? Because their funding timeline is a little bit different than the farm bill timeline. So some people want to take some of that money and put it toward other programs. Some people want to extend those programs so it lines up with the farm bill timeline. 

So there's a lot of uncertainty around how that will happen. But that's really going to depend on this Congress or the next Congress to work that out.

Dusty Weis

So, Renee, you mentioned that even though the deadline to renew the farm bill has elapsed, now, the real deadline is the end of the year here, December 31st. And so what might happen still before the end of the year to keep us from going off that cliff?

Renee Munasifi

Sure. Well, the next opportunity for a new farm bill to be passed or extending the current one will be post-election. So Congress comes back into session mid-November. But Congress has some big pieces of legislation that they've got to pass before the end of the year too. So there's a lot on the plates of members of Congress and their staff.

So December 20th, that's when the government funding runs out. And Congress is going to have a pretty short window to work funding out past that deadline to avoid a government shutdown. And that's right around Christmas as well. So folks want to get back home, see their families and get something done. But, you know, I could see another farm bill extension potentially getting added to a funding bill, for example.

But there's a lot to be worked out between the House and Senate on what a new farm bill would look like, and that takes some time. The House Agriculture Committee passed a bill, so there's some legislative language there, but we haven't seen that same process yet on the Senate side. So it's not impossible for a new farm bill to get done, but it's just looking very unlikely with where things are at right now.

Sally Flis

Renee, I was remembering quite fondly earlier this week from one of my Facebook memories of the 2018 farm bill, when I still worked at the Fertilizer Institute, and we were up on the hill getting some language into the 2018 farm bill around supporting research for the 4Rs, that right source, rate, timing and placement. 

The farm bill is huge. I don't know if you know how long it is exactly, but I know it's huge and there's a lot of subtitles in there about farming. And like you mentioned, SNAP benefits as well. 

So what are some of the things that are most important to growers now that you've heard about potential changes in from either side of Congress, looking at if there were to be an actual new farm bill and not just an extension?

Renee Munasifi

Sure. Well, you know, I would argue a lot of the farm bill is about sustainability, you know, making sure farmers can sustain their farms for future generations. So crop insurance, of course, is a huge part of that, giving farmers a safety net so they can continue their operations in good times and bad. The devastating hurricanes, I think, are a reminder of why this is so important. We need to be able to grow our own food in this country.  

The United States has recognized the importance of supporting growers and everyone who depends on them through our farm bill policy. So farmers are great conservationists. And, you know, it's been amazing to see the innovation and the field through practices and technology. 

And Sally, you're very well aware of this and working on this daily. And now working at Nutrien, I think it's been great to see how our Crop Consultants work with growers on the field to grow more with less, using these new tools and techniques, specifically on conservation programs. That Inflation Reduction Act included extending four major conservation programs through 2031. So that's EQIP, Conservation Stewardship Program, the Ag Conservation Easement Program, and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

And then it also included money for conservation technical assistance, money for measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification for climate smart programs. And then in total, it was about $20 billion for climate smart agriculture. So that's a pretty big investment.

Dusty Weis

When you talk to people in the world of ag policy, Renee, a lot of them will tell you that one of the most brilliant things about the farm bill is that it was built to have something in it for everybody, because in the world of politics, it's important for everybody to feel like they get a win out of a piece of legislation like this.

And yet here we are. It's expired twice. There's a demonstrable interest for growers in having it passed. There's an interest for everybody else in getting it passed, and yet it hasn't been passed yet. Now we hear a lot about how polarized politics is these days. Is that part of what's driving this? And what are some of the sticking points that are making this farm bill so difficult to get over the finish line?

Renee Munasifi

Dusty, this farm bill, one explanation of what's holding it up is where we're at in the political cycle. So we're in a presidential election year in the United States, and the House and Senate are very narrowly divided between Republicans and Democrats right now. So who controls each chamber will be decided on November 5th, and that will impact who is the party in charge of writing the next farm bill.

So, you know, there's some who may want to wait to see who is going to be in charge so that they're the ones primarily writing the farm bill. And then, of course, they're sticking points on spending. I mentioned there's a lot of spending now going into nutrition versus traditional farm programs, people wondering whether each program is costing too much or too little.

And there's a wide variety of views. So then how do you pay for the programs? If you increase funding for a favorite program, that might require changes elsewhere, and people have various priorities. So it's difficult. We talked about the funding for a climate smart ag, that's $20 billion. And as I mentioned, protecting that funding or reallocating funding to other programs, that's a sticking point. 

At the end of the day. One thing I really like about agriculture policy is even in this politized environment, very polarized politics, ag policy is very bipartisan. So a lot of the differences are often regional and less so along party lines.

Sally Flis

So given this stall in the farm bill, again, you know, what can growers, Crop Consultants, Nutrien Ag Solutions employees do to help reach out to their legislators and reemphasize or continue to emphasize how important having a farm bill in place is for, you know, not just production agriculture, but across the economy, because we touched so many different parts of the US and North American economy with agriculture.

Renee Munasifi

Well, Sally, absolutely. I mean, growers are already doing this, reaching out to their lawmakers at the federal level as individuals and as part of farmer-led commodity organizations. And members of Congress, they answer to their constituents. And it truly matters when people reach out and have their voices heard. Calls to action. This advocacy does move the needle. So I definitely encourage folks who have not already done so to reach out to their lawmakers and tell them their personal story of what it means to them and their farm and their family when we don't have certainty in agriculture and we don't have a new farm bill policy.

Dusty Weis

Yeah, Renee, you know, I was just having a conversation the other week with someone from another corner of the ag policy world, and she told me that, frankly, point blank, there's kind of no better time to get in your legislator’s ear than when they're asking you for a job, which is basically what they're doing right now. They're coming to you and saying, hey, this job that you elected me to do two years ago or six years ago, I'd like to get re-upped, and this is a great time to get in their ear as their employer and remind them that you expect them to do their job when it comes to getting a farm bill over the line. 

So I know that we mentioned, Renee, that there might be a chance to advance this bill after we get through this November election in a couple of weeks in what we call the lame duck session, certainly, it seems to be all anybody's talking about on the news, the election. So we wanted to take a look at what the different outcomes of the election might mean for us in the world of sustainable agriculture.

That's coming up in a moment here on the FARMSMART Podcast.

Dusty Weis

This is the FARMSMART Podcast, presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions. I’m Dusty Weis, along with Sally Flis, and we’re talking today with Renee Munasifi, Senior Director of Global Government & Industry Affairs at Nutrien.

And Renee, before we get back into the topic of ag policy and the upcoming election, I did want to touch on your job for Nutrien Ag Solutions real quick, because I feel like not everyone might be familiar with what government and industry affairs is exactly.

So can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you work on behalf of Nutrien and our growers in Washington?

Renee Munasifi

Absolutely. Dusty. Before the break, we touched on the importance of advocacy, and that's basically what I do alongside the entire government industry affairs team in Washington, DC and at the state and local level and other countries where we operate. We've got a fantastic team globally who work on these issues and who are experts in their field, working with government and industry to advocate for sound policy.

We defend our businesses’ freedom to operate. An ag business like Nutrien is pretty complex and sound policy is important. So things like infrastructure, ensuring the free flow of goods, innovation, crop protection, all these things are important and things that we work on. 

Talking about the farm bill, for example, we advocate alongside our grower customers for stable ag policy, like the farm bill and getting that done and making sure what's in the farm bill works for the industry and for growers on the field.

So one of the things that drew me to work at Nutrien is our focus on the grower. It's at the heart of what I do, and it's why I love working in agriculture and working with growers on issues impacting both the business and our farmer customers.

Sally Flis

Renee, we know it's not news that there is an election coming up shortly in the US. I try not to turn on too much that's going to have advertisements on it at this point, but it is interesting as I travel around the country who has more ads than others, because being from New York, we're not generally a swing state.

So there's a lot more advertising as I travel to some of these other states. So it's very interesting to see those differences, but these changes also have an impact on ag policy. 

When there is an administration change, there is always a change in who is in the departments that we work with. And as we've been talking about the farm bill as well, how that could be implemented by the different departments on the ground.

So with the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, kind of what are you hearing or what is it you think it might look like for growers with either scenario of them becoming elected in the next few weeks?

Renee Munasifi

Sure. Well, this is an interesting election, I think, because in a sense, we kind of already have a bit of each of these scenarios. We've had former President Donald Trump and now Vice President Harris is the number two in the current administration. So we've had a sense of direction of how things would go under both using history as our guide.

So this could change, of course. You know, people can change direction. Either of these candidates could. 

But under a Harris administration, we could see a continuation of kind of the current status quo, which includes a focus on sustainable agriculture at the US Department of Agriculture and other agencies. 

And I think we remember former President Trump. He focused a lot on tariffs, and that impacts agriculture, and a lot of times agriculture gets hit the most with some of those things. 

But I would also anticipate under a Trump administration that we could see more de-regulatory policies for agriculture and the environment. And that was the case before.

Dusty Weis

You know, Sally, to your point earlier, I might have to move to upstate New York because here in Wisconsin, one of the top five swing states in the presidential election, I can't watch a commercial break during the Packers game without seeing six different political ads during the darn thing. And if it's not an ad for the presidential race, it's an ad for one of our super competitive Senate or Congressional races as well.

Certainly, given that the fate of the farm bill hangs in the balance in Congress, Renee, and the various scenarios that could play out in the election, what do all those mean for the farm bill?

Renee Munasifi

Yeah, the upcoming election plays into farm bill dynamics, because if the House or the Senate or the presidency changes the controlling parties, there could be a different chairman or chairwoman of the House or Senate Agriculture committees. And that could change kind of who is driving policy. 

But even with the change in party chairmanship, I think what we've seen is still a bipartisan approach to passing a farm bill.

So, in any of those scenarios that bipartisan need remains. And that's because of the unique nature of the farm bill with the agriculture farm policy and the nutrition policy for those who depend on the farmers themselves. 

So in any scenario, I think both parties will need to come together to get this done. And Nutrien will continue working to ensure our grower customers’ voices are heard, regardless of the election outcome.

Sally Flis

So, Renee, we've covered a lot of ground here and talked about a lot of different things that can impact not only a new farm bill, but ag policy in general. We've had lots of hurricane activity in the Gulf this year, with a couple of different storms hitting Florida and the Southeast, impacts on supply chain through strikes in the ports, and just lots of variables that are not really helpful to our policy or our sustainability or our producers.

So what are some things that you're seeing that are exciting people at ag policy and sustainability around DC, and what should we be looking forward to in the next couple of quarters?

Renee Munasifi

Well, there's a lot of excitement about the Climate Smart Commodities Grant Program, of which we’re a part. And Sally, you've been a part of that. 

We’re in a larger consortium of businesses and private entities in working through some of those processes. The pilot program was about leveraging kind of public-private partnerships to model and test and scale innovative climate smart ag delivery models.

And I think there's definitely excitement over USDA kind of getting that right, setting their rules of the road for what those climate smart programs and carbon reduction strategies might look like. So I would say that's a positive.

Dusty Weis

So, Renee, we talked a little bit at the beginning of this segment about how you're out on behalf of Nutrien and Nutrien’s growers advocating in DC, what are you working on right now? What are you advocating for in DC?

Renee Munasifi

Well, Dusty, there's a number of things we're watching closely and specifically for the farm bill, Nutrien’s advocating for three policies to be included. One is adding potash and phosphate to the US Critical Minerals list. And this has broad bipartisan support. It's one of the things we can do to promote domestic fertilizer production and stability. 

Second is getting a clear definition for bio-stimulants. I think farmers need more tools in their toolbox, and making the rules of the road clear for this area is important for continued innovation. 

And then finally, I think the inclusion of the increased technical service providers or the TSP Access Act. This is a policy that leverages private partnership to get more boots on the ground, so we can help growers with technical expertise to participate in these climate smart programs.

So, you know, all of these policy priorities, of course, it's not just us advocating for it. We're working alongside of our grower customers. Thank you to the listeners who have been working with their grower organizations to advocate for some of these policies. I think industry other impacted stakeholders are also working alongside with us. So we appreciate that partnership.

Dusty Weis

I've always thought, Renee, that it's one of the neatest things about the world of agriculture is our ability to rally together and pull together as an ag industry, to do what's best for the American farmer, and ultimately for a population that needs more food, more fiber, more fuel than ever before. And so certainly thank you for the work that you do in DC on behalf of our growers.

And a quick reminder again, that we've all got a part to play. Democracy, as they say, is not a spectator sport. And so pick up your phone or pop over to your local congressperson’s rally and just remind them that you'd like to see them get a farm bill done. That is more important than ever before as well. 

Renee Munasifi, Senior Director of Global Government & Industry Affairs at Nutrien, thank you for joining us on this episode of The FARMSMART Podcast.

Renee Munasifi

Thank you.

Dusty Weis

That’s going to conclude this episode of The FARMSMART Podcast. New episodes arrive every month, so make sure you subscribe to The FARMSMART Podcast in your favorite app and visit nutrienagsolutions.com/FARMSMART to learn more. 

The FARMSMART Podcast is brought to you by Nutrien Ag Solutions, with editing by Emily Kaysinger.

The FARMSMART Podcast is produced by Podcamp Media, branded podcast production for businesses. podcampmedia.com. I’m Dusty Weis. For Nutrien Ag Solutions, thanks for listening.