Socially Responsivle Agriculture Project Inc

INFORMS, EDUCATES & EMPOWERS THE PUBLIC TO PROTECT FROM THE DAMAGING IMPACTS OF FACTORY FARMS.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM: SRAP EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE DEVASTATING PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIOECONOMIC DAMAGES CAUSED BY INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION. FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, OUR TEAM HAS WORKED THROUGHOUT THE U.S. TO PROVIDE FREE ASSISTANCE TO ANY COMMUNITY THAT REQUESTS OUR HELP WHEN FACING THE THREATS POSED BY FACTORY FARMS. SRAP'S FIELD OPERATIONS TEAM INCLUDES TECHNICAL EXPERTS, INDEPENDENT FARMERS, AND RURAL RESIDENTS WHO, LIKE THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, HAVE EXPERIENCED THE IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION FIRSTHAND. OUR TEAM OFFERS TECHNICAL AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT TO HELP PEOPLE EDUCATE AND MOBILIZE THEIR COMMUNITIES, NAVIGATE REGULATORY PROCESSES, ENGAGE LAWMAKERS, PUBLICIZE THEIR STORIES, AND ULTIMATELY BUILD COALITIONS TO REJECT HARMFUL INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND ADVOCATE FOR A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOOD FUTURE. SRAP ALSO LINKS THE PEOPLE MOST PROFOUNDLY IMPACTED BY OUR BROKEN FOOD SYSTEM WITH A NETWORK OF ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS, AND POLITICAL PLAYERS WHO CAN HELP. WE CONNECT LOCAL EFFORTS WITH STATE AND NATIONAL MOVEMENTS TO UNITE IN OUR CAUSE, COLLECTIVELY WORKING TO BRING BACK THE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE, INDEPENDENT FARMS NEEDED TO FEED AMERICA. IN 2021, SRAP'S COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM HELD MORE THAN 14 PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS ON TOPICS SUCH AS RURAL FOOD PRODUCTION AND POLLUTION ISSUES WHICH WERE ATTENDED BY OVER 1,500 PEOPLE.

FOOD AND FARM NETWORK: SRAP UNDERSTANDS THE THREATS COMMUNITY MEMBERS FACE WHEN AN INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK FACILITY COMES TO TOWN. WE ALSO KNOW THE IMPORTANCE AND NEED FOR ORGANIZING TO BUILD A BETTER FOOD FUTURE. THROUGH TECH TALKS, WEBINARS, ACTION ALERTS, AND AGRICULTURE POLICY BRIEFINGS, THE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOOD & FARM NETWORK EMPOWERS ADVOCATES TO UNITE. AN EXTENSION OF OUR CORE MISSION TO OFFER OUTREACH, BASE BUILDING, EDUCATION, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, THIS FREE NATIONAL NETWORK BUILDS ON SRAP'S STRENGTHS - AND THE TEAM'S DECADES-LONG EXPERIENCE - TO ADVISE AND MOBILIZE ADVOCATES BEYOND THE CAFO ISSUE. THE NETWORK ENGAGES FARMERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF REGENERATIVE FOOD SYSTEMS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, CLIMATE INITIATIVES, PUBLIC HEALTH, ANIMAL WELFARE, AND OTHER CRITICAL ISSUES. WITH REGULAR OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH STATE, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL COALITIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS, PLUS ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO TRAINING EVENTS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, NETWORK PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN TO MORE EFFECTIVELY INFLUENCE POLICYMAKERS AND U.S. RESIDENTS, ALIKE, ON THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE CONCERNS THAT MATTER MOST.

WATER RANGERS: INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS ARE AMONG THE WORST WATER POLLUTERS IN THE U.S. BECAUSE THESE FACILITIES CONFINE SO MANY ANIMALS IN ONE PLACE, THEY GENERATE VAST AMOUNTS OF WASTE, WHICH IS TYPICALLY STORED ONSITE BEFORE BEING APPLIED UNTREATED TO SURROUNDING LAND. UNFORTUNATELY, AS A RESULT OF WEAK REGULATORY POLICIES MISMANAGEMENT AND OVERAPPLICATION OF WASTE IS THE NORM, CAUSING GROUND AND SURFACE WATERS TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH POLLUTANTS SUCH AS NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, ORGANIC MATTER, HEAVY METALS, AND HARMFUL PATHOGENS LIKE E. COLI, SALMONELLA, AND CRYPTOSPORIDIUM. THIS CONTAMINATES DRINKING WATER WELLS, CAUSES FISH KILLS, SPAWNS TOXIC ALGAL BLOOMS, AND RENDERS LOCAL WATERWAYS UNSAFE FOR SWIMMING, FISHING, BOATING, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL USES. IN SHORT, RURAL RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF A WATER POLLUTION CRISIS THAT THREATENS THEIR HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. SRAP'S WATER RANGERS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO EMPOWER THESE COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHT TO CLEAN WATER AND TO HOLD INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS ACCOUNTABLE FOR POLLUTION. WE TRAIN PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IN EPA-APPROVED WATER TESTING TECHNIQUES, AND PROVIDE THEM WITH TOOLS TO COLLECT AND ANALYZE WATER SAMPLES. PARTICIPANTS ALSO LEARN HOW TO EFFECTIVELY DOCUMENT AND REPORT POLLUTION VIOLATIONS TO REGULATORS IN ORDER TO PROMPT ENFORCEMENT ACTION. THE WATER RANGERS PROGRAM EMPOWERS COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REVERSE A DECADES-LONG TREND OF HANDING INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE A FREE PASS TO POLLUTE.

CONTRACT GROWER TRANSITION PROGRAM: THE CONTRACT GROWER TRANSITION PROGRAM ALLOWS SRAP TO FURTHER TRANSFORM RURAL COMMUNITIES BY ENGAGING CONTRACT GROWERS AND PRODUCERS STRUGGLING WITHIN THE INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE SYSTEM. THROUGH THE TRANSITION PROGRAM, SRAP ENABLES CONTRACT GROWERS TO LEAVE THIS SYSTEM BEHIND BY TRAINING THEM TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITIES MOST HARMED BY INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE. SRAP AIMS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CONTRACT GROWERS TRAPPED BY THE CORPORATE AGRICULTURE MODEL, WHILE EMPOWERING THEM TO ADVOCATE FOR A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ANIMAL AGRICULTURE SYSTEM THAT PRIORITIZES PUBLIC HEALTH, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND ANIMAL WELFARE.THERE IS NO BETTER ADVOCATE TO ENGAGE RURAL COMMUNITIES FACING THREATS OF INCOMING OR EXPANDING INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK FACILITIES THAN THE PEOPLE WHO, TOO, WERE HARMED BY THE INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM. THE SRAP STAFF MEMBERS WHO LEAD THIS PROGRAM ARE FORMER CONTRACT GROWERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED INJUSTICES FIRSTHAND. THIS UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE MAKES THEM ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE CHAMPIONS OF AGRICULTURAL REFORM AND ENABLES THEM TO OFFER INVALUABLE GUIDANCE TO RURAL RESIDENTS SUFFERING DUE TO NEARBY LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS AND TO CURRENT GROWERS STRUGGLING TO LEAVE THE INDUSTRY.