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Tell Senator Inouye: Protect Farmers from Unfair Treatment
  1. Signatures
    269 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. Sen. Daniel Inouye (HI)
  2. Created By
    RAFI-USA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

Contract poultry farmers are caught in an unfair system, a system that traps them in debt and forces them to take whatever contracts they are offered. No matter how hard these farmers work, they will not be paid fairly. If they speak up, they face retaliation. At any time, they could lose their contract and lose their family farm.

The meat and poultry industry is fighting hard against a rule meant to protect contract farmers from this unfair treatment. The rule would level the playing field between poultry or livestock farmers and companies, protect farmers' investments, and make pay more competitive. 

So far the industry has been successful in their efforts to stop the rule, and the House of Representatives has already passed their Agriculture Appropriations Bill with a provision that would kill the rule. The Senate just passed their version of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill without anything in it dealing with the rule.  Now, we have to be sure that the Agriculture Appropriations Bill comes out of the Conference Committee without anything that would stop or delay the rule. 

Your senator, Senator Inouye, is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and his vote is crucial for protecting farmers.  

Please send a message to Senator Inouye today and ask him to oppose any efforts to stop or delay this critical rule.

 

Recent Signatures

Oppose Amendments to Stop or Delay GIPSA Rule

Dear Senator Inouye,

I am a constituent and I feel that all farmers should be treated fairly and have the opportunity to make a fair wage in the market place. The USDA’s Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) Rule will level the playing field for livestock and poultry producers. Please oppose any efforts to delay or derail this important rulemaking process in the Agriculture Appropriations Conference Committee.

The GIPSA rule, by starting to lay out basic rules of fairness and competition for livestock and poultry farmers, is an important first step toward reducing barriers that have limited the success of local and regional foods systems.

The House has included a legislative rider in its Agriculture Appropriations bill to prohibit USDA from moving forward with these important pro-farmer, pro-consumer regulations. We urge you to reject the anti-GIPSA provision in the House Agricultural Appropriations bill and allow USDA to complete the rulemaking process to issue a final rule that reflects the extensive public input USDA has received.

As the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I hope that you will show strong leadership and stand up for farmers and ranchers by protecting the GIPSA rule.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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