b'Farm Bill 2023: What to Watch2023 is fast approaching with farm bill prep in tow. Alex MartinWHEN IT COMESto policy, theresdoing so, was lucky enough to participateFrom the association side, its a similar one major piece of legislature ridingin the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill.process of deciding what to focus on for over the horizon within the next year: theTheres always certain areas wherethe Farm Bill.2023 Farm Bill. staff and Members of Congress startOne of the first things you do as an The farm bill is a multiyear law thatthinking through what should be changedorganization is look at what your priorities governs and tackles an array of agricul- and what should be different in the nextwere in the last farm bill, and again, look ture and food programs, with titles acrossbill, she says. Thats really where the nextwhat you need to build upon, Brady says. all aspects of agriculture, ranging fromfarm bill startstrying to figure out whatASTA has been a long supporter of the conservation to research to rural devel- areas need improvement or significantprograms in the ag research space and the opment. The last farm bill was passedchanges in the existing authorization. conservation space.into law December 2018 and expiresFrom there, it comes down to whereNot only that, but Brady says within September 30, 2023, according to thewere currently at in the farm bill process:every title of the bill, there are priorities Congressional Research Service.the Senate and House hold hearings,that the seed industry cares about.But, the titles within the farm bill arentoften sorted by title, to get producers andIn the last farm bill, one of the pri-just thought of and debated a year outorganizations from the industry to diveorities was the national plant germplasm to the expiration date. The discussioninto the industry concerns. After hearings,strategy that USDA is still working on starts the minute the previous farm bill ispens put to paper.and were having conversations on passed. The initial draft typically starts withthe implementation of that, she says. Janae Brady, in particular, has a pas- simple reauthorizationdeciding whatAnother good example of programs sion for the process behind the farm bill. to extend to 2023 from the 2018 bill. Fromthat we will continue to advocate on are As soon as the farm bill is passed,there, different priorities are built into thethe trade export programs, including the you start working on implementation,draft from members. This year, BradyMarket Access Program, and the Foreign says Brady, senior director of govern- says the House majority will be chairingMarket Development programthose ment affairs for the American Seed Tradethe conference.have consistently been authorized during Association (ASTA). From the Senatethe farm bill process.and House perspective, they start rightBut, its not all about pushing the same away with oversight to ensure that USDAagenda. Its also about figuring out what is implementing the bill in the way it wasnew areas to look towards and focus on intended. for the future. One such area for ASTA is Formerly, Brady worked witharound conservation and sustainability.Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) inWe know that conservation is going the Senate, serving as an advisor onto be a priority title of ours, but were still policy issues including trade, agricultureworking on the details of what that might research and agricultural defense, but ininclude, Brady says. We know based on 6/ SEEDWORLD.COMJUNE 2022'