2023 Policy Development Backgrounders

Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs

Established in the 2014 Farm Bill, Agriculture Conservation Easement Programs (ACEP) set up the structure for Purchase of Agriculture Conservation Easement (PACE) programs. PACE programs compensate property owners for keeping their land available for agriculture.

Night Hunting of Coyotes

Coyotes have been prevalent in Tennessee as early as the 1960s. With the lack of a natural predator other than humans, coyote numbers continue to increase across the state due to ample food sources and ideal habitat such as forests, farmland, shrubland and urban areas.

Prior Notification for Surveying Property 

In January of 2023, legislation was introduced to require land surveyors to
notify all adjoining property owners prior to a survey being conducted. The sponsoring lawmaker met with TFBF and other industry stakeholders on potential amendatory language which would state a “best effort” must be made to contact all adjoining property owners and would not apply to platted subdivisions or court ordered boundaries.

TACIR Report on Utility Scale Solar

During the 112th General Assembly, Tennessee Farm Bureau worked with lawmakers to pass Public Chapter 1043, which instructed the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to conduct a study on the overall effect of utility scale solar energy development in this state, raising 14 specific points to address. This study is scheduled for final review and approval in September of 2023; however, the draft report was reviewed in June 2023.

National

2023 Farm Bill

The farm bill is an omnibus, multi-year authorizing legislation which governs an array of agricultural and food programs. It is typically renewed about every five years. The 2023 Farm Bill is expected to contain 12 titles encompassing commodity price and income supports, crop insurance, farm credit, trade, conservation, research, rural development, energy, and foreign and domestic food programs, among others.

2023 Regional Bank Collapses

In the spring of 2023, three regional banks in the United States collapsed in a short time period from March to May causing many to have concerns about the potential for a banking crisis similar to what happened in 2008, which was a part of a global recession cycle. By summer 2023, indications are we are passed the critical phase of a further banking crisis, but there are long term concerns for small and regional banks. In the collapse of the three regional banks, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) took steps to protect depositors at these banks to transfer their assets to other larger banks around the country.

Electric Farm Equipment and GHG Emissions

While there are very few electric farm vehicles in use today, much of the research and development for farm equipment is pursuing this technology. According to Farm Journal, within the past year several manufacturers have released prototypes and plans for industrial-sized electric farm equipment, including CNH, Caterpillar, Doosan Bobcat, John Deere, Komatsu, Volvo, and Yanmar. Furthermore, Monarch Tractor has a fully electric and autonomous tractor which features 10 hours of runtime, 40 horsepower (HP) continuous, and 70 peak HP. These tractors have been used in the viticulture industry since 2020. Experts indicate these early prototypes appear to compete well with conventional equipment under 100 HP, while the technology is not ready to compete with higher HP equipment.

Animal Health, Vaccines, and Animal Traceability

Animal Disease Traceability

Animal agriculture across Tennessee and the na on has been riddled with disease outbreaks over the past few years. Highly Pathogenic Avian In uenza was reported in nine different flocks in Tennessee in the past year, the rst case of Theileria orientalis ikeda was detected in a ca le herd in the summer of 2022, and three horses tested posi ve for Equine Infec ous Anemia in 2021. Now, the impending arrival of African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease into the United States leaves livestock producers facing an ongoing threat of animal diseases with little to no options for treatment.

mRNA Vaccines in Livestock

The use of vaccinations to prevent disease is commonplace in animal agriculture. As new technologies emerge and new diseases present threats to animal health and human food security, research into new methods of improving animal health continues to develop. One new technology being thoroughly studied is the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in livestock.

mRNA Vaccines as Edible Vaccines

Many people in rural communities or developing countries cannot access vaccines due to various issues such as cost and needed skills to administer. This problem led to research of vaccines in plants, allowing vaccines to be stored without refrigeration and transported easier. In 2021, researchers from the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) received a grant to experiment with messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, an ingredient mainly known for its use in vaccines to treat COVID-19. They are researching methods to receive the vaccine through consuming lettuce rather than a prescription or an injection.

Artificial Intelligence Technology

Artificial Intelligence

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, decisions must be made concerning the reach and limitations it will have in society. According to the Pew Research Center, “42% of these experts said they are equally excited and concerned about the changes in the ‘humans-plus-tech’ evolution they expect to see by 2035.” With 24/7 availability, reduction in human error, and endless connections to others across oceans, AI continues to be a key resource in citizen’s daily lives. However, privacy concerns and impacts to labor are two threats to the human population based on the rate of development technology is experiencing.