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The Good Food Movement is the fastest growing segment of the food industry. People from all walks of life are now actively seeking out local and sustainable food produced by family farmers.

But this movement — which is bringing major health, environmental and economic benefits to tens of millions of Americans — faces an imminent threat from an unexpected source: new food safety regulations, written by the federal government, that if left unchanged would overburden some family farmers to the point that they may go under.

Here is what is at stake. Over the past two decades, the number of farmers markets in America has quadrupled to 8,144. Just as importantly, supermarkets, restaurants, schools, hospitals and other wholesale buyers are increasingly using food they procured from local farmers.

Now one of the biggest problems of the movement is keeping up with the demand. People just can’t get enough Good Food! But to grow the supply, we need federal policies and programs that support, not hinder, existing and new farmers in their efforts to grow more fruits and vegetables for local markets.