Farm and Food Policy

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Farm and Food Policy

• only affects people who eat

2
Good Farm Bills make Good Eating
Good Eaters make good Farm Bills!
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What we want

• Healthy food for all families
• Conservation of our land, water, air
• Vibrant rural communities
• Fairness for U.S. and global farmers

4
What our faith tells us

• Our values . . .
• Care for the poor
• Solidarity
• Stewardship
• Common good
• Participation

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We need to take action
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What is the Farm Bill?

• Major legislation revised by Congress every 5
  years
• Sets U.S. policy for our farm food system

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Why do we have a farm bill?

• 1920s and 1930s -- dust bowl, depression.
• Government support for farmers, feeding the
  nation.

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Whats happening now?

• Globalization
• Environment
• Technology
• Demographics

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The Farm Bill is not just about farmsIts about
. . .
Conservation
Competition
Commodities
Credit
Forestry
Exports
Food
Fiber
Energy
Crop Insurance
Foreign aid
Global Trade
Disaster Aid
Research
Livestock
Subsidies
Rural communities
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Major parts of the Food Farm Bill

• Chart from Oxfam America

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Food Nutrition
Food stamps Commodity Supplemental Food
Program (CSFP) The Emergency Food Assistance
Program (TEFAP) Fruit and Vegetable initiatives
for schools
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Commodities

• 90 of subsidies go to 5 crops

Most goes to big producers
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Conservation

• CRP (1985) govt. rents
• private farmland for public benefit
• CSP (2002) incentives for good farming
  practices
• Need grows but cut

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Rural community needs

• Infrastructure
• Incentives to keep people in rural areas
• New farmers, diverse healthy crops
• Local opportunities, markets and small business

15
How does the food farm bill affect
our global neighbors?

• Half the people in the developing world make
  their living from farming.
• (vs. 1-2 of U.S. population)
• Its hard to compete with
• U.S. agriculture.

16
What we want

• Healthy food for all families
• Conservation of our land, water, air
• Vibrant rural communities
• Fairness for U.S. and global farmers

17
We need to take action