Graduate students, apply now to join BFI in Washington, DC!
February 28, 2023
Update: The application period for this opportunity has now closed. Thank you to all who have applied.
The Farm Bill is a massive piece of legislation that is reauthorized by Congress nearly every five years and funds major agricultural and nutrition programs that are administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization is an unprecedented opportunity to center and advance equity and climate resilience across the 12 titles that make up the bill, including commodities, trade, nutrition, rural development, and more.
The Berkeley Food Institute is thrilled to announce an opportunity for five (5) UC Berkeley graduate students to attend and support a 3-day event in Washington, DC focused on the 2023 Farm Bill Reauthorization. BFI will cover the full cost for students, including roundtrip airfare to and from Washington, DC, meals, lodging, and local transportation. Undergraduate students are not eligible to partake in this event.
To apply, click here.
The application period for students is February 28 – March 21, 2023 at 11:59pm.
BFI, in partnership with American University and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, is hosting Pointing the Farm Bill Toward Racial Justice (April 30 – May 2, 2023), a 3-day event at American University’s Airlie Farm and Center in Warrenton, VA, which will feature keynote speakers and panelists who are farmers, policy-makers, scholars, lawmakers, advocates and more. The summit will end with a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill and a public roundtable to connect and engage attendees on important food systems issues that are addressed through the farm bill.
The 2-day summit will take place on Sunday April 30 – Monday May 1, 2023 in Warrenton, VA. The day-long congressional briefing and public roundtable will take place on Tuesday May 2, 2023 in Washington, DC.
In 2017, BFI and American University held a similar event during the last farm bill reauthorization titled Farm Bill 2018: Policy, Politics, and Potential. This event also included robust student engagement, from bringing students to Washington, DC to teaching a complimentary graduate seminar on the same topic.
The Farm Bill has significant implications on California’s food system, farmers and farmworkers, the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension (UCANR), basic needs for college students, and other key issue areas. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to witness and shape the next five years of food and agriculture policy!
Questions can be directed to Sakeenah Shabazz, BFI’s Policy Director, at sakeenah_shabazz@berkeley.edu.
