ARLINGTON, VA — The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) today thanked the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a Farm Bill that advances critical priorities for the U.S. dairy industry.

The bill includes the Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields (SAFETY) Act, a bipartisan measure that would establish permanent policy focused on protections for American producers' ability to use common food names in international markets. It also provides continued funding for agricultural trade promotion programs and maintains support for the inclusion of dairy-containing Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) in U.S. international food aid.

"Today's House passage of the Farm Bill is a significant victory for America's dairy industry, and we are grateful to Chairman Thompson, the House Agriculture Committee, and every member who voted in support of this legislation," said Krysta Harden, USDEC President and CEO. "The dairy priorities included in this bill will strengthen the competitiveness of American dairy, support rural communities, and reinforce the United States as a dependable supplier of high-quality products to customers around the world. We are encouraged by this progress and look forward to continuing to work with the House and Senate to carry this momentum through to final passage."

The SAFETY Act, authored in the House by Reps. Dusty Johnson, R-SD, Jim Costa, D-CA, Michelle Fischbach, R-MN, and Jimmy Panetta, D-CA, would direct USDA to work with the U.S. Trade Representative to prioritize protection of commonly used terms like "parmesan," "feta" and "asiago" in international trade negotiations. This provision builds on a series of victories the U.S. Trade Representative has secured in Agreements on Reciprocal Trade, which include broad protections for the use of generic terms, and would codify that approach to ensure it continues in future years.

The legislation would also direct funding originally authorized through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to effectively double U.S. agricultural export promotion efforts, consolidating those resources into established Farm Bill vehicles like the Market Access Program.

Additionally, the bill directs $200 million in annual funding for RUTF, a nutrient-dense paste incorporating milk powders used in international food aid to treat chronic malnutrition, and advances a transfer of the Food for Peace program to USDA, a move USDEC strongly supports.