Responsibilities of Producers
Producers are enrolled in USDA Commodity Programs: The 2014 Farm Bill requires producers to comply with similar land use provisions in order to participate in most programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Risk Management Agency (RMA). Specifically, producers are required to farm according to an approved conservation plan if they plant annually tilled crops on highly erodible land and are prohibited from planting on converted wetlands or converting wetlands for crop production.
Producers complete the Self-Declaration: Under the SSAP-RED, producers are asked to complete a “Self-Declaration” attesting that their soybeans do not come from any of the three protected land categories; that the producer applies “Good Agricultural Practices” in the production of the soybeans; that the producers is compliant with regulations regarding pesticides and labor; and that they are willing to participate in an on-farm compliance review, if necessary. The Self-Declaration will be submitted once a year by producers to the certified elevator. It addresses two key requirements of the RED; it provides for the documentary traceability of the soybeans back to the producer and that the producer meets the restrictions on land use conversions.
Self Declaration Sign-Up
A critical component of the SSAP-RED is a Self-Declaration. Submitted to the participating elevators at the time of delivery, producers confirm their compliance with all U.S. federal, state and local legislation and regulations as well as the specific requirements of the RED. The RED restricts production of soybeans from land converted from grasslands, wetlands, peatlands and forests since January 2008.
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