Climate Campaign Update: A December Call to Action

The farm bill has the potential to transform and protect our food system, ensuring that all Americans have access to the food they need. But major programs that support chefs and farmers, fight climate change, and help feed the hungry are in jeopardy. Action is needed NOW to protect critical funding in the farm bill during the 2024 lame-duck legislative session and potentially beyond. 

Climate change is not only an environmental crisis but also an economic one, impacting independent restaurants and the local food supply chains they rely on. Recent extreme weather events—including hurricanes like Helene and Milton, spring derechos, wildfires, prolonged droughts, and severe winter storms—have created economic uncertainty and damaged crops. Ocean warming disrupts fisheries, thousand-year storms occur more frequently, and extreme heat domes hover over cities for weeks. These events lead to restaurant closures, job losses, and rising consumer costs. This is why JBF launched our Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign, which hundreds of you have joined over the last few months. 

The farm bill is fundamentally a food bill, providing critical support to programs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that help prevent hunger among our most vulnerable populations. Notably, 81% of SNAP recipient households include a child, an older adult, or a person with disabilities, and 85% of all SNAP benefits go to such households. By ensuring families can afford essential expenses like rent and utilities while still putting food on the table, SNAP plays a vital role in the fight against hunger.

What’s at Stake

Climate-Smart Agriculture Funding:
Preserving Inflation Reduction Act funding for climate-smart agricultural practices is crucial. There are discussions about cutting this funding in the upcoming farm bill extension or potentially in other legislation next year. These resources help farmers—who supply and support independent restaurants—adapt to climate change and adopt sustainable practices. They are already supporting and empowering farmers and must be sustained.

SNAP:
SNAP reduces hunger by helping families buy food from grocery stores, farmers' markets, and other outlets. Protecting this funding ensures food security for millions of Americans.

How You Can Help

1. Call Congress Now:
As a leader and entrepreneur in your community, your voice matters more than ever. We held over 20 meetings on Capitol Hill last week between chefs from around the country and their members of Congress, and heard this message repeated over and over again: your representatives need to hear your stories to share them with their peers during crucial negotiations. Call your U.S. House representative and U.S. Senators today and urge them to protect climate-smart agriculture and SNAP funding in the farm bill. 

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Not sure who your elected officials are? Find them by using the links below:

• U.S. House of Representatives
• U.S. Senate

Not sure what to say? Use and customize these talking points:

"I am a local chef/restaurateur and concerned about the conservation funding provided through the Inflation Reduction Act for climate-smart agriculture practices. I understand some Members of Congress are considering cutting this funding in the farm bill extension or other legislation that will be debated next year. We need to protect this funding. My restaurant employs [XXX people] and supports local producers, spending [XXX] on their goods annually. Climate change is already disrupting our supply chain, increasing costs, and causing operational challenges. Protecting SNAP funding is equally vital to reducing hunger and ensuring food security. I urge you to preserve these critical programs."

2. Amplify Your Voice:
Once you have made those phone calls, consider amplifying that outreach on social media. You can find a sample post below:

At [Restaurant Name], we see firsthand how climate change impacts our food supply chain, leading to rising costs and ingredient shortages. We need Congress to take action, including safeguarding the conservation funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, which may now be cut in the farm bill. This funding is critical to ensuring we can source affordable ingredients and fight climate change. That’s why I’m joining @beardfoundation’s Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign #JBFClimateCampaign #JBFChefsLead [@YOUR MEMBER(S) OF CONGRESS]

Together, we can ensure a resilient food system, protect farmers and families, and secure our shared future. Thank you for taking action today.

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Learn more about our Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival Campaign.