LOVELOCK - A new omnibus Farm Bill is under construction in the U.S. Congress. The last farm bill was passed in 2008, and since the legislation's lifespan covers four - five years, debate is gearing up for a new bill next year. Farm bills can be highly controversial and can impact international trade, environmental preservation, food safety and the well-being of rural communities. The very first Farm Bill, enacted under President Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933, was designed to aid struggling farmers during the Great Depression. The bill established support for prices for six basic commodity crops by paying farmers to reduce production.
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 objectives was to accelerates the commercialization of advanced biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol, encourage the production of biomass crops and expand the current Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program. On April 29, 2008, the Farm Bill contained three major components:
• The Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program that will allow farmers to choose revenue-based, market oriented protection instead of subsidy payments based on politically set target prices;
• $4 billion over baseline funding for conservation and working lands programs;
• Funding for local food programs such as the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Community Food Project grants and the Healthy Food Enterprise Development Center - programs.
However, farm legislation has evolved to include programs and policies that address a much wider array of issues than production agriculture and related markets. For example, in fiscal year 2011 it is estimated that about 84 percent of the USDA's budget is to be directed to programs such as the supplemental food and nutrition assistance program (SNAP); school lunch and breakfast programs; and the women, infant and children (WIC) program.
Studies conducted by the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that 14.7 percent of U.S. households - involving more than 50 million people - were food insecure at some point in 2009. Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation.
Only 11 percent of the 2008 farm bill goes to farm policies. Farm policy funding has fallen sharply in the last decade. It was cut $7.4 billion in 2008, and again in 2010 by $6 billion. Much of the farm policy funding is being diverted to conservation programs. Over the life of the 2008 farm bill, total conservation spending will increase from $3.7 billion in 2008, to $7.15 billion in 2012.
As Congress continues to look for ways to balance the budget, much debate will be held on how the new farm bill can still provide a safety net for American agriculture, and maintain the provision of effective food assistance programs. The effectiveness of programs such as SNAP and WIC will be carefully evaluated before additional funds are provided in the future. Some politicians have expressed that the objectives focused on achieving specific health and nutrition targets might be better achieved by delivering programs through different government agencies.
No matter what the new farm bill may look like, it is important to understand the value of a strong and viable agricultural industry in American. As President Dwight D. Eisenhower once stated, "In no other country do so few people produce so much food, to feed so many, at such reasonable prices."
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