2007-08 Farm Bill Campaign for Food Justice
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• Latest Farm Bill Update •
Take Action •
Previous Updates •
• Farm Bill Documents & Links •
Background •
Further Reading •
Latest Update
June 2008
In the final weeks of May 2008 Congress Passed the 2008 Farm Bill. The bill was vetoed by the President because of its lack of commodity reform. But congress has the majority votes needed to over ride the veto and did so.
CFJC's Statement on the Passing of the 2008 Farm Bill
The farm bill passed by Congress reflects the tireless work of food justice, anti-hunger and sustainable agriculture advocates, as well as the entrenched power of the agri-business lobby in Washington DC. The bill includes important new funding for nutrition, beginning and minority farmer, sustainable agriculture and local food system programs. Unfortunately, it also includes a continuation of commodity programs that subsidize the production of a few crops (mostly corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton and rice) to the benefit of mega-farms and corporate agri-business, and at the greater expense of public health, the environment, farming communities worldwide.
We congratulate everyone who helped to bring about the few gains that are in this farm bill. Among the bright spots in the bill are: increases in food stamp benefits; $5 million a year for community food projects; $18 million a year each for minority farmer outreach and beginning farmer programs; $46 million a year to support the specialty crop industry; and approx. $100 million through the life of the bill to support organic farming (see below for more bill details). Unprecedented public concern and action made these good things and others in the bill possible and have helped to raise the bar for achieving further improvements in food and farm policy in the future.
While we acknowledge the improvements, we are deeply saddened that Congress missed the opportunity to implement commodity reforms called for by so many across the country, and across the world. Read the full statement [PDF, 104K]
Learn more about what was (and wasn't) in the bill for Sustainable Agriculture, Beginning Farmers and Conservation [PDF], Nutrition
On the Wires
Mother Jones: The Big Farm Scam
NY Times: A Disgraceful Farm Bill
Ethicurean.com: The enemy of my enemy: Why a Bush veto of the Farm Bill is bad for the food movement (and the world)
Center for Rural Affairs: Provision do not Exceed Losses
Stay informed!
Join the CFJC email list to get updates and action alerts. To subscribe, send an email from the account you want added to CFJC-subscribe@lists.riseup.net.
Take Action:
The passing of the farm bill is just the beginning. Now congress and states have to determine how new laws and new funds are going to be implemented. One area of significant interest to CA is how will the state department of agriculture spend the nearly $10 million a year they will receive through newly funded Specialty Crop Block Grants? Stay tuned for future updates and action alerts concerning Farm Bill implementation and CFJC's future campaigns.
Previous Updates
Farm Bill Documents & Links
Further Reading
Background
In 2007, Congress will renew the Federal Farm Bill. This important legislation should more aptly be
called the Food, Farm, Conservation and Energy Bill because its collection of policies impact all
aspects of our food and farm system. Unfortunately, what we want and need from our national farm
policy and what the Farm Bill has delivered have not been in balance. Historically the majority of
farm payments have been in the form of commodity subsidies that benefit the largest and wealthiest
farmers and lower commodity prices and farmer income worldwide. Much less support has gone to
diversified farming regions like California that grow fruit and vegetable crops. And far too little
funding has gone to support small and mid-sized farmers, sustainable farming practices and local food
system innovations - such as farmers markets, farm to institution programs, and urban farms, that link
rural and urban communities. Federal policy has under invested in these efforts and undervalued the
impact that they have on total community and food system health - from increasing farmer income,
improving nutrition and reducing obesity to creating jobs and increasing civic participation.
2007 is an opportunity to reform federal farm and food policy. Growing public attention to the impact
of U.S. commodity subsidies worldwide, the environmental impacts of industrial agriculture and the
effects of unhealthy diets, combined with excitement for regional food systems and building connections
between farmers and consumers has opened up the farm bill debate to many who have not paid attention
to it in the past. The California Food and Justice Coalition is working together with other coalitions
and organizations across the state to bring urban and rural constituencies together to rally California
Congressional support for Farm Bill legislation that embraces our vision for a more just and sustainable
agriculture and food system.
We urge everyone who shares CFJC's vision of a "food system where all activities, from farm to table,
are equitable, healthful, regenerative and community-driven" and believes that U.S. food and farm
policy should support local and sustainable food systems to join with us.
Read CFJC's 2007 Farm Bill Position Paper and Policy Priorities (pdf)
Join the CFJC email list to get updates and action alerts. Email: CFJC-subscribe@lists.riseup.net from the account you want added to the list.
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