2007-08 Farm Bill Campaign for Food Justice
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to jump to the following sections:
• It Passed! • Looking Forward •
Previous Updates •
• Farm Bill Documents & Links •
Background •
Further Reading •
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture Grassroots Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill: A guide of 2008 Farm Bill programs to benefit your community
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
Looking Forward
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 California is how the State Department of Agriculture will spend the nearly $10 million a year they will receive through newly funded Specialty Crop Block Grants. Join the CFJC email list for future updates and action alerts concerning Farm Bill implementation and CFJC's future campaigns. To subscribe, send an email from the account you want added to CFJC-subscribe@lists.riseup.net.
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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