U.S. Farm Bill – Kristen Baumlier

I’ve been reading news about the “undercover U.S. Farm Bill” being in the works the past few monthes. The most recent news is that the 2011 Farm Bill got thrown out– since no agreements were reached.

The bill was going to cut $23 billion dollars over the next 10 years with a $15 billion net cut in commodity programs, a little over $6 billion net cut in conservation programs, and a $4 billion slice from the largest of all farm bill programs, the SNAP or food stamp program. This would then free $2 billion to help fund farm bill programs that lacked secured budget baseline after the current farm bill expires in 2012 and to fund new programs.

The Farm Bill impacts who can farm, how they farm, the types of food that can be grown, and the price of certain foods at the grocery store. Farm policy is a big part of the reason fast food is cheap and healthy food is difficult to find, and the Farm Bill is a matter of concern for everyone, not just farmers.

One top issue for the next Farm Bill is whether government support programs are being used responsibly and effectively. Another issue is the USDA’s current emphasis on an approach to rural development that’s broader than just making payments to big corn and soy farms.

Some questions the Farm Bill can address include:

-Could there be more incentives for farmers to grow fruits and vegetables, and not just commodity crops?
-Could accepting food stamps at farmers’ markets help to combat obesity?
-Should sodas be banned from the food stamp program, similar to the program’s existing bans on tobacco and alcohol?
-Could a “whole-farm revenue” concept for crop insurance replace the present system that encourages production of a single crop, and instead encourage more diverse crops?
-Could an expansion of the green payments program incentivize sustainable farming rather than overproduction?

The recent concerns about the 2011 farm bill is that it was done essentially “in secrecy and ahead of schedule. Currently the final bill that was not approved has not been released to the public.

What is going to happen to the future of food? Get up to date information about the 2012 farm bill from the sites listed below.

Image Source:

Eco Farm

Links:

http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/

http://sustainableagriculture.net/

Yesterday I went to the Ohio Fair Trade Expo at John Carroll University in University Heights, OH. The event was organized by the Ohio Fair Trade Network, a group who works to create positive change by educating consumers with a better understanding of the impact of purchasing choices and by educating businesses about the impact of trading practices.

The Expo had workshops, presentations, and a marketplace with fair trade businesses.

One workshop I attended was a presentation by Adam Olson of Oxfam America who presented on the politics of food and trade, and talked how current trade practices contribute to our challenged food system and how some reforms can help break cycles of poverty.

I learned about the U.S. Farm Bill, the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government, and reviewed every 5 years. This bill can impact international trade, environmental preservation, food safety, and the well being of rural communities. One important element that is reviewed in this bill is which crops will receive subsidies.

Adam also talked about how when food becomes fuel – the prices go up. He also talked about how the subsidy of corn to support ethanol undermines the corn market and affects both the U.S. and international market. Surpluses of crops are sold on the international market at low prices, making it so that other countries cannot compete in the agriculture market.

I also attended an interesting presentation by Megy Karydes, owner of World Shoppe. She talked about the goals of fair trade, and how it is not about the product – but about the process and being a good steward of the environment. She showed examples of fair trade organizations that take this one step further and recycle or “upcycle” raw materials to create fair trade designs. “Upcyling” – taking something that would be thrown out or put into a landfill as waste – and using this material to make something new. Some examples included Revy, who sells necklaces out of fish scales, World Shoppe who sells cow bone earrings, and Greenola who makes necklaces out of recycled acai berries and ayayo cloth.

Megy’s presentation was helpful in that she ended with a list of what we could do- which included sharing this information with others, supporting Fair trade where we could, and participating in Fair Trade Day and Fair Trade month (which is right now – October.)

Links:
Ohio Fair Trade Network – http://ohiofairtrade.com/
Megy Karydes – World Shoppe http://www.world-shoppe.com/
Megy Kardes blog – shopfairtrade http://shopfairtrade.wordpress.com/
Oxfam America – http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

Kristen Baumlier

Tag: U.S. Farm Bill

2011 Farm Bill R.I.P. – but 2012 bill is around the corner

“Upcyling,” The U.S. Farm Bill and the Ohio Fair Trade Expo