The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has endorsed the bipartisan Safe American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, which aims to protect US agricultural exports, including feed and petfood, during foreign animal disease outbreaks.
Introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both the House and Senate, the SAFE Act (H.R. 3038/S. 1501) ensures that products from disease-free regions of the US can continue to be exported even if other parts of the country are affected by an outbreak.
AFIA President and CEO Constance Cullman stated that the legislation is key to maintaining export markets and protecting the food supply chain. She emphasized the importance of animal-based feed and petfood, which she described as vital components often overlooked in broader discussions on food security.
The legislation would codify the US Department of Agriculture’s authority to negotiate regionalisation agreements with trading partners and establish an early alert system for trade disruptions via the USDA’s Import and Export Library.
The SAFE Act is supported by Representatives Randy Feenstra and Jimmy Panetta and Senators Roger Wicker, Katie Britt, Tina Smith, and Chris Coons.