There’s never a shortage of agriculture news. Here are a few policy stories you may have missed over the past week.

Bipartisan bills address cybersecurity threats to food and agriculture sectors

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D- N.Y., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark. introduced legislation on Monday they say will strengthen cybersecurity for the food and agriculture industry. Their announcement came after Reps. Brad Finstad, R- Minn., and Elissa Slotkin, D- Mich., introduced similar legislation in the House on Friday.

The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act would require the Secretary of Agriculture to work with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to conduct a biannual study of threats and vulnerabilities within the agriculture and food industries. The Agriculture Secretary would also be required to conduct annual crisis simulation exercises with his counterparts in the Homeland Security Department, and Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Director of National Intelligence.

“Protecting our nation’s farms and food security against cyberattacks is a vital component of our national security,” Gillibrand says. “The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act is a crucial step toward preparing our nation’s agriculture sector to respond to potential cyberattacks. I am committed to ensuring our American agriculture sector is ready to defend against these cyber threats and look forward to working with my colleagues to get this important bill passed.”

The legislation has already been endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, North American Millers Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, USA Rice, Agricultural Retailers Association, American Sugar Alliance, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

First ethanol to SAF plant opens in Georgia

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Soperton, Georgia on Jan. 25 to celebrate the grand opening of the world’s first plant dedicated to turning ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel. The LanzaJet facility is expected to produce 10 million gallons of SAF per year.

Vilsack has noted on multiple occasions that electric jetliners will likely never be possible because heavy batteries simply aren't compatible with long haul aviation. That’s why he has been a strong advocate for developing alternative aviation fuel sources with lower carbon emissions.

While he says there is still much work to be done on the policy, he praised the airline industry for helping to make this important first step possible.

“I want to acknowledge the work of farmers, farmers not just in the United States, but farmers all over the world who will be the providers of the feedstock that make this dream a reality,” Vilsack said.

Thompson decries “death tax”

In a letter to constituents on Friday, House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, R- Pa., reiterated his support for the Death Tax Repeal Act introduced by Rep. Mike Turner, R- Ohio, last week. That bill, which has 162 House cosponsors, would permanently repeal the federal estate tax.

It would also repeal generation-skipping transfer taxes. That tax comes into play when a person transfers an asset to another person but skips a generation, such as when a grandparent gifts a home to a grandchild.

Thompson says the estate tax is a big concern for many family farms. He says it can be a “death sentence” to family farms transferring to younger generations.

“The estate tax particularly impacts family farms, ranches, and businesses since the value of these ventures is usually tied to illiquid assets such as land, buildings, and equipment,” Thompson says. “I proudly support H.R. 7035, Death Tax Repeal Act, which would permanently repeal the estate tax.”

FSA to begin accepting online loan payments

Starting in early February, farm loan borrowers will be able to make online payments through a new “Pay My Loan” feature on the farmers.gov website. For now the option is only available to individual borrowers. Those with jointly payable checks will still need to make payments through their local office.

The new initiative is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency to streamline processes. Other stated goals include modernizing customer service, offering more self-service tools and expanding credit access to additional producers.

“Farmers and ranchers have responded to some difficult challenges over the last few years and their time is a precious commodity,” Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small says. "Having the option to conduct business online is essential, and the Pay My Loan feature allows customers to take care of business seamlessly.”

USDA allocates $11.5 million to combat food waste

USDA announced Jan. 25 that it is investing approximately $11.5 million to cooperative agreements in 23 states that reduce and divert food waste from landfills. Among the projects is an effort in Cleveland to expand residential composing services.

The projects will be administered jointly by the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Funding will come from the American Rescue Plan Act. NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misar says the “customer-focused” projects will have significant impacts on his agency’s goal to reduce food loss and waste.