Mar 29 2008
Farm Bill - Not too Late??
Having taken the time to read through Oxfam’s guide to the 2007 Farm Bill, I appreciate why it is so difficult to talk about. Although the majority of funds included in this omnibus bill go for food stamps and other nutrition programs, the commodity and trade support portions of the bill concentrate payments into the hands of a select group of “farmers”, some of whom collect payouts through pass-through entities without ever getting their hands dirty. In addition, heavy handed trade policies flood the world market with US taxpayer subsidized commodities, like cotton, putting farmers in developing countries at risk.
Many groups have put together recommendations for farm bill reform. American Farmland Trust has a web-based email form for painlessly sending a message to our elected reps; Oxfam’s “Fairness in the Fields” gives a succinct list of important steps that Congress could take to improve the bill. If we continue to raise our voices it might not be too late to have an impact on agricultural policy for the next five years!