The 2007 Farm Bill: Who has your best interest in mind
The 2007 Farm Bill: Who has your best interest in mind? Part I
By, Kirk L. Builta, Information Director
Champaign
July 2007
As the 2002 Farm Bill’s September expiration date approaches, the United States Congress continues to draft and amend the 2007 bill. The
Numerous organizations submit proposals to our legislature for consideration; the American Farmland Trust, the Audubon Society and Ducks Unlimited just to name a few, have taken their turn in helping lawmakers create the perfect farm bill. Over the next few months we plan to take a closer look at a few of these organizations so that we might all understand the viewpoints and recommendations of these organizations.
We start out this month with the views of the American Farm Bureau Federation and the American Farmland Trust.
Who: American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)
Recommendations:
§ The 2007 farm bill should not be written to comply with what some assume will be the “outcome” of the WTO negations. Rather, we must negotiate a WTO agreement that accomplishes our objectives and then modify our farm bill accordingly.
§ Supports continuation of the “three-legged stool” safety net structure of the commodity title (i.e. direct payments, counter-cyclical supports and marketing loan payments).
§ Supports modifying the counter-cyclical program to have payments triggered by a shortfall in state crop revenue rather than a shortfall in the national average price.
§ Opposes any changes in current farm bill payment limitations or means-testing provisions. Simply stated, payment limits bite hardest when commodity prices are lowest. Our federal farm program is based on production. Time and time again, this has proved to be the best manner for distributing assistance to those who are most responsible for the production of this nation’s food and fiber. Farmers who produce more traditionally receive larger payments, but they also take larger risks and have significantly higher investments in their farms.
§ Adequate funding for conservation programs should not come at the expense of full funding for commodity programs. Therefore an even playing field should be had by all agricultural sectors.
§ Supports strong conservation programs in the farm bill with an emphasis on working lands conservation programs rather than retirement programs.
§ Find out More:
American Farm Bureau
(202)406-3600
Who: American Farmland Trust
Recommendations:
§ Double funding for working lands conservation to help farmers care for our nation’s resources.
§ Simplify the conservation application process to make it easier for farmers to participate in current programs.
§ Protect our agricultural land base. Federal farm policy must adequately address the threat to our strategic agricultural land resources from non-farm development and fragmentation.
§ Assist a new generation of farmers as they take over the land. This will require new policies to improve access to land, credit and tools to manage risks. With the rising price of land and increasing capital investment required, beginning farmers face growing challenges.
§ Replace current counter-cyclical and loan deficiency payments with a revenue-based risk protection program.
§ Protect against both drops in yield and price (current commodity programs only protect against drops in price).
§ Create a broad-based green payments program available to all agricultural producers-regardless of size, type or location. These payments will reward all farmers for sound land management and resource conservation as farmers provide the public with important environmental services.
§ Consider additional payments for working lands conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Security Program (CSP) and other programs that help producers achieve higher levels of environmental stewardship. Complimenting farmers for the environmental “products” they generate should be encouraged.
Find out More:
American Farmland Trust
Suite 800
(202) 331-7300
** Please note; the above is simply a small portion of the views held by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the American Farmland Trust. For more information please contact the respective organizations at the information listed.
The 2007 Farm Bill: Who Has Your Best Interest In Mind? Part II
By, Kirk L. Builta, Information Director
Champaign
August 2007
Although the 2007 Farm Bill passed through the House of Representatives by what seemed like a party-line vote on July 26, the Farm Bureau continues to keep a close eye on capital hill as the bill moves through the Senate and eventually on to the White House for President Bush’s approval.
At the Farm Bureau it is our goal to keep you informed on the decisions our congressmen and women make as we take a closer look at what has gone into this year’s farm bill and the proposals that have helped to shape this major piece of legislation.
This month, we will take a look at two proposals; one from the Nature Conservancy and the Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act of 2007 commonly known as FARM 21 proposed by Representative Ron Kind (D-WI).
Who: The Nature Conservancy
Recommendations:
Protect our farms, forests and natural areas by eliminating federal incentives that encourage conversion or intensified production on ecologically sensitive lands. Existing USDA conservation programs should be strengthened and funding should be increased for Wetlands Reserve Program, the Grasslands Reserve Program and the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program.
The Farm Bill must strengthen and expand programs to address the threats of invasive species as they threaten the quality of agricultural harvests, as well as the health of forest resources and natural systems.
Provide greater incentives to actively manage land for native species habitat. We must promote practices such as prescribed burning, seasonal flooding, and grazing that mimic natural processes and maintain the health of ecosystems.
Encourage and expand USDA efforts to establish meaningful measures to refine and improve programs as rigorous, science-based assessments are necessary to evaluate the progress and value of the nation’s agricultural conservation efforts.
Increase resources to monitor compliance of existing conservation requirements because a lack of enforcement and weak conservation standards has reduced the effectiveness of conservation compliance.
Support research and measurements to better understand the impacts of climate change on crop and forest production. Farms and forests face possible risks related to climate change including increased temperatures and extended droughts that can cause challenges such as lower yields. Congress should provide $20 million annually for climate change impacts and adaptation research to assist farmer and forest landowner.
Find out more:
The Nature Conservancy
(703)841-5376
Nature.org
Who: U.S. Representative Ron Kind(D-WI)
Recommendations:
Expanding Rural Development Programs would make farmers more able to withdrawal funds from their accounts to invest in rural enterprises that boost farm income. This legislation would increase rural development spending by $700 million over five years.
To improve the environment, spending on conservation programs would be increased by $6 billion over five years, including he expansion of the EQUIP program to more than $2 billion annually and programs to protect millions of wetland, farm and ranch acres from sprawl.
Energy production on American farms must be increased through a renewable energy program and renewable energy research would be increased by at least $1 billion over five years including sufficient funds to provide at least $5 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy development on farms and forest land.
Promote healthy food choice by providing funding for programs to link farmers with local schools in order to establish farmers markets providing healthy snacks at thousands of schools across the country. This would promote consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and would be expanded by $400 million over five years.
Investing in domestic and international anti-hunger programs that will increase the food stamp program by $5 billion over five years while increasing the McGovern-Dole program by $500 million over the next five years providing donations of agricultural products for school feeding and nutrition projects in low-income countries.
Reduce the national debt by $5 billion between 2008 and 2012 and by more than $20 billion over the next ten years.
Find out more:
Congressman Ron Kind
1406
(202)225-5506
**The American Farm Bureau Federation publicly opposed Congressman Kind’s FARM 21 proposal. The legislation was defeated on the House floor by more than 300 votes.
The 2007 Farm Bill: Who has your best interests in mind? Part III
By, Kirk L. Builta, Information Director
Champaign
September 2007
With the clock ticking ever closer to the Farm Bill’s September expatriation date our nation’s leaders are working diligently to provide a 2007 Farm Bill that will provide funding guidelines for research and trade as well as farm payment programming that meets the needs of producers.
The United States House of Representatives passed the 2007 Farm Bill on July 27th sending the bill to the U.S. Senate. The passage of the Farm, Nutrition and Bio-energy Act of 2007 approved a $286 billion - five-year budget - that will provide a reliable safety net for our nation’s farmers. Often times, Commodities are the only Farm Bill title that is spoken of; however this year’s bill does much more than support farmers, in fact just 13% of the bill will go directly to farmers leaving an additional 87% of all monies available for other programs.
According to the House Agriculture Committee, the Farm Bill has made historical investments in conservation, nutritional programming and renewable energy sources. Agriculture Committee Chairman, Representative Colin Peterson says the Farm Bill covers much more than farming, rather it is “about the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the fuel we will use” in the future.
With funding earmarked for world trade and the research for alternative renewable fuels, we are making great strides towards energy independence. Conservation has received a $25 billion boost from this year’s bill; however the largest allocation of money is rarely spoken of. Over 60% of this year’s farm bill goes directly to Nutritional Programming. This title provides $190 billion worth of funding for our nation’s food stamp program, school lunches, world-wide food relief and other nutritional programming helping those in need around our country and around the world.
This year’s farm bill has caused controversy and debate. It has even been referred to locally as a “pork project” due to its quote “emphasis on farm subsidies”. We ask that you take a closer look at the 2007 Farm Bill. With well-over half of all funding earmarked for nutrition we must trust that the priority of our elected officials and we as producers and industry leaders, is to continue to supply the world with a safe and reliable food supply.
© 2008 Champaign County Farm Bureau