FCS Diversity and Inclusion - PROPOSED RULE - MARCH 2011
Dear Mr. Van Meter,
Your institutions have the capacity and opportunity to possibly do more for our national security than what is achieved by the Defense Department.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition that I passionately support is recommending that each lender invest a minimum of 10% of capital in local and regional food production within five years. I think this is so important that I wonder if it could be 5% in 2012 and an additional 5% each of the next 4 years so that by 2016 we are lending minimum 25% of resources to local and regional production. It will be such a boon to our economy and could stimulate access and interest in better nutrition as well as a reduced carbon footprint from food distribution. The benefits are too great and numerous to describe. But most of all we need to strengthen local and regional food supply as a safety net for dealing with the myriad possible disasters that could befall our nation. Strong support for local and regional food production is a patriotic program for homeland security as well as a way to enhance protection and appreciation of the rich diversity of agricultural specialties within our nation.
I would also be audacious enough to request exclusion from this dedicated allocation of any grower using genetically modified seed or whose crop is contaminated inadvertently with GM seed. This is what consumers want. If your borrowers have not yet accepted this fact, they will.