Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Randy Romanski participated in the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Annual Meeting. The meeting took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 10 – 13, 2023. While there, Romanski supported numerous policy amendments and action items that will benefit Wisconsin agriculture.
During the annual meeting, NASDA members passed three action items related to food labeling. These included the standard of identity for yogurt, labeling of plant-based milk alternative products, and labeling of human food products derived from cultured cells.
“Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland, and the future of the nation’s dairy industry deserves truth in labeling, including ensuring that the standard of identity for yogurt is reflective of current processing practices,” explained Romanski. “The standard of identity for milk needs to be enforced so consumers are aware of the nutritional content of milk versus other plant-based alternative beverages.”
The annual meeting also provides the opportunity for the NASDA membership to update its policy book. One approved policy amendment focused on increased federal investments in agriculture education, including funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create agricultural literacy resources to expose students to agriculture-related jobs.
“The future of Wisconsin’s agriculture industry is dependent on our young people, and there needs to be adequate funding to offer quality agricultural education to our students in the classroom,” added Romanski. “We also need to ensure guidance counselors and teachers have the resources they need to promote the hundreds of career opportunities available in the agricultural industry.
NASDA is a nonpartisan association of all 50 states and four territories. They work to influence policy that is beneficial for all regions, people and environments. For more information about NASDA, visit https://www.nasda.org/.
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