US Agricultural Policy - Stimulate not Subsidize
Sustaining a Profitable Agricultural Economy
Feb 15, 2009
As Michael Grunwald wrote in "Why Our Farm Policy Is Failing" in the Time magazine on Friday, Nov. 02, 2007,
"If you eat, drink or pay taxes--or care about the economy, the environment or our global reputation--U.S. agricultural policy is a big deal. It's also a horrible deal..."
He goes on to question, "[Currently] the most fattening calories on our grocery shelves are the most subsidized. During an unprecedented obesity epidemic, why not support fruits and vegetables instead of cattle and poultry feed? Similarly [why not] shift funding from subsidies for the grain-industrial complex to conservation payments for eco-sensitive farmers... The results would be less erosion; more restoration of grasslands and wetlands; and less degradation of water bodies..."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to stimulate not subsidize, what Mr. Grunwald called, "our cult of the small family farmer." Cheap food shouldn't be the real goal. Washington needs to make real gains in subsidy reform that fundamentally changes how government support operates.
The Good Things About US Agricultural Policy
The 2008 farm bill, called the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, does provide funding to improve our environment, protect farm and ranch land, make local foods more widely available and dramatically increase food assistance for families struggling with rising food costs. The American Farmland Trust (AFT), a non-profit organization committed to protecting the nation's farm and ranch land and improving the economic viability of agriculture, summed up the pros:
- For the first time, this farm bill includes $1.3 billion of new funding over 10 years for specialty crops—fruits, vegetables and nuts—and also increases programs aimed at supporting local agriculture and healthy foods.
- New funding for Environmental Stewardship Policies increased by $4 billion, which translates into more stewardship practices and a healthier environment: cleaner water, reduced erosion and enhanced wildlife habitat.
- The new farm bill mandates over $1 billion in federal funding over five years for research and development into biofuels, renewable energy projects on farms and ranches, grants and loans for cellulosic biofuel refineries, and other important clean energy programs.
The Challenges
There are still a myriad of challenges facing the new administration. 9 for '09 is an AFT initiative for a better policy for Farms, Food, and The Environment that:
- Reduce the Federal Government's Role in Farmland Loss
- Protect and Promote Farm Bill Regional Food System Programs
- Prioritize Agriculture's Role in Reducing Greenhouse Gases
- Support Efforts to Engage Farmers in Improving Water Quality
- Properly Implement and Fully Fund the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
- Mitigate Against the Loss of Farm and Ranch Land in Transportation Legislation and Create a Green Agricultural Infrastructure
- Create a Farmer Corps
- Evaluate the Impacts of Farmland Loss on National Food and Energy Security
- Support Local Food in School Cafeterias and Access for Low Income Consumers
The current administration has made a pledge to change our nation's course by listening to the American people. As the AFT said, "There are significant gains to be realized by engaging agriculture in these timely and critical issues."
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