ALEI Conference Highlights Hot Topics in Farming
The 爆料公社鈥檚 (ALEI) hosted its third annual conference in Annapolis on Nov. 17, as farmers, lawyers, and policymakers met to discuss the complex intersection of environmental regulation and agriculture in Maryland. Panelists shared their expertise on issues ranging from the legal challenges of organic farming to the legal framework of administering antibiotics to livestock.
The Agriculture Law Education Initiative is a partnership of the at the (UMB); the at the 爆料公社, College Park (UMCP); and the at the .
ALEI is an initiative of the U, an alliance between UMB and UMCP created in 2012 to significantly expand research collaboration, business development, and student opportunities at both universities.
Keynote moderator Michael Pappas, JD, MA, associate dean for research and faculty development at Carey Law and an ALEI member, said the conference is a signature event for the farming community and ALEI. 鈥淭he great thing about this conference is it brings together policymakers, farmers, lawyers, and environmental interests, and it allows us to address issues in one room and really spread education. That鈥檚 the core mission of ALEI,鈥� he said.
The panelists covered a diverse array of agricultural and legal topics with the aim of helping farmers understand the legal frameworks they operate within and how to navigate through them.
The keynote panel, 鈥淐onservation Programs and the 2018 Farm Bill,鈥� focused on the development of a new farm bill, with the current bill set to expire in 2018. As the 2018 bill begins to take shape, many are speculating about the future of popular conservation programs within the current bill.
According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) website, conservation programs 鈥渋mprove the resiliency and productivity of farming operations, and also protect and enhance shared natural resources.鈥�
Panelist Paul Wolfe, JD, senior policy specialist, NSAC, said conservation programs could be on the chopping block because they don鈥檛 have a large constituency but make up the second-largest block of funding in the current bill. 鈥淭hat is one of our biggest concerns, that these programs could be attacked and looked at to make changes to fund a few specific programs,鈥� he explained.
(l-r) Mayhah Suri, BS, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kelly Poole, vice president for government affairs, Organic Trade Association, and Alison Howard, owner, Homestead Farms
Wolfe said the NSAC recognizes that more money is not in the cards for conservation programs, so the goal is to maintain the programs and improve operation and management. Focus areas for the 2018 farm bill include:
鈥� Expanding access to working lands conservation programs.
鈥� Targeting dollars to the most effective conservation activities and systems.
鈥� Improving support for outreach, planning, and implementation.
鈥� Increasing measurement, evaluation, and reporting of program outcomes.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to figure out how you shuffle the deck chairs to pay for all the things you want to do,鈥� Wolfe said.
Ben Grumbles, JD, LLM, secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, spoke about Maryland鈥檚 climate change programs in light of a changing federal political landscape. Freshly returned from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, Grumbles acknowledged the reality of climate change.
鈥淲e all know that water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit whether you鈥檙e a Republican or a Democrat,鈥� he said. Citing extreme weather patterns, temperature increases that threaten crops and public health, and precipitation issues that can cause flooding or drought, Grumbles said Maryland must take a proactive approach to climate change. 鈥淲e in Maryland absolutely have skin in the game and absolutely need to embrace a risk-management approach,鈥� he said.
Grumbles noted that he held Maryland up as an example of progress in climate change policy at the UN conference, citing the state鈥檚 26-member bipartisan climate change commission, stringent greenhouse gas reduction requirements, and a regional approach with the power sector.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just standing still and denying the need for increased strategies and collaborations for risk management,鈥� he said.
Farmers have a role to play in mitigating and adapting to climate change and should be at the table during discussions, Grumbles explained. 鈥淐limate change topics should be a discussion 鈥� hopefully a collaborative one 鈥� that鈥檚 based on science and goodwill and how do we integrate the environment, energy, and the economy into our decisions on how the state should be moving forward.鈥�
Sarah Everhart, JD, legal specialist and research associate, ALEI, said the conference is valuable for Maryland farmers, environmentalists, and other stakeholders to come together to understand the regulations that affect them all. 鈥淲e [ALEI] feel it鈥檚 important to bring them together in one conference because they often hold separate events to discuss the complex regulatory challenges that farmers face.鈥�
Other panels included:
Organic Farming 鈥� Challenges, Benefits, and Legal Battles: Alison Howard, Homestead Farm; Kelley Poole, vice president of government affairs, Organic Trade Association.
Legal Resources for Improving Soil Health on Leased Land: Sarah Everhart, JD, legal specialist and research associate, ALEI, 爆料公社 Francis King Carey School of Law; Terron Hillsman, PhD, state conservationist, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Nutrient Management Update and Preparing for an Audit: Hans Schmidt, assistant secretary of resource conservation, Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Administering Antibiotics to Livestock in Maryland: The Legal Framework: Michael Radebaugh, VMD, state veterinarian, Maryland Department of Agriculture; Colby Ferguson, government relations director, Maryland Farm Bureau; Betsy Nicholas, JD, executive director, Waterkeepers Chesapeake; founder, Fair Farms.
Developing Legal Issues in Agriculture and the Environment: Paul Goeringer, JD, LLM, MS, extension legal specialist, ALEI, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 爆料公社, College Park; Kelly Nuckolls Winslow, JD, LLM, extension legal specialist, ALEI, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 爆料公社, College Park.