Farm Bill Reauthorization:
Imagining a Sustainable Living Bill

by Leslie G. Woods, Associate for Domestic Poverty and Environmental Issues, Presbyterian Washington Office

“Give us this day our daily bread,” we pray. Wrapped into the prayer Jesus taught us to pray is an appeal that no one go hungry, even for a day. Indeed, if the Lord’s Prayer reflects a vision of earth “as it is in heaven,” we are called by Jesus and by our own prayers to take active steps to ensure that each person has daily bread: no more, no less.

The Farm Bill authorizes some of the country’s most important tools for fighting hunger in the U.S. and -- unlike its name implies -- it does not affect only American farmers. In fact, the Farm Bill touches the life of almost every person living in the United States, and many who live in the global community. Perhaps it would be more aptly named the “Comprehensive Food, Land, and Trade Policy Bill.”

Folded into the broad reaches of the Farm Bill are topics that range widely -- from anti-hunger measures like the Food Stamp Program, to government subsidies for farmers and policies that affect international trade agreements, to programs designed to protect the environment. The Farm Bill also governs international food aid policy, as well as plans to promote development in rural communities in the U.S.

The reaches of the Farm Bill are so diverse, that all advocates, whether they are concerned about hunger, the environment, or international development, should take notice of the 2007 reauthorization of the Farm Bill.

Many are concerned that current farm policies are unsustainable and unjust, both in the global economy and environmentally. While the Food Stamp Program has made important strides toward reducing hunger in the U.S., for the most part, the Farm Bill has not done a good job of promoting “daily bread” for all God’s children. The legislation is due for reauthorization this year, and advocates are working to produce a more sustainable Farm Bill, and to convince Members of Congress that reform of current U.S. farm policy is imperative in order to create a more just and supportable system, both at home and abroad.

Included in the many titles of the Farm Bill legislation are:

• Nutrition programs that aim to provide immediate assistance to hungry people in the U.S.
• Commodity programs that subsidize U.S. farmers
• Conservation programs that provide incentives for farmers to protect and retire endangered and overworked land
• Rural development programs that support rural communities and create opportunities as farming’s share in the U.S. economy shrinks
• Research and energy programs that produce better crop varieties, standards to ensure a safe, high-quality food supply, and incentives to farmers who adopt energy-efficient practices
• Trade regulations that govern U.S. participation in international bodies and allow for food aid in times of disaster in developing countries

Current policies in the Farm Bill have become less than effective in promoting rural communities worldwide and in providing aid to those who need it most. The commodities program, for example, was originally intended as a safety net for family farmers in years when crop production was low. However, because payments are not based on the size of the farm or evidence of need, they increasingly benefit large farms and agribusiness, leaving small and mid-size farmers without that important safety net.

Further, the Food Stamp Program, which has greatly reduced hunger in the U.S., needs a benefit update, so that participants in the program are able to purchase an adequate, nutritious diet for their families. Current Food Stamp benefits average $1 per person per meal and the household monthly minimum benefit is as low as $10. Anyone who has recently visited a grocery store knows that this benefit is not adequate to provide a nutritious diet.

Both the Senate and the House recently indicated willingness to improve the Farm Bill by providing new federal spending for the reauthorization. Now, advocates must ensure that this new money benefits those who need it most – the hungry, the small and mid-size farmers, and farmers working to ensure environmentally friendly procedures on their farms.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) Washington Office is working on Farm Bill advocacy in concert with a Religious Working Group of faith-based organizations, including other Protestant denominations, the Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bread for the World and Church World Service. The Working Group has produced the following principles, stating that the 2007 Farm Bill should:

• Increase investments that combat rural poverty and strengthen rural communities
• Strengthen and expand programs that reduce hunger and improve nutrition in the United States
• Strengthen and increase investment in policies that promote conservation and good stewardship of the land
• Provide transitions for farmers to alternative forms of support that are more equitable and do not distort trade in ways that fuel hunger and poverty
• Protect the health and safety of farmworkers
• Expand research related to alternative, clean and renewable forms of energy
• Improve and expand international food aid in ways that encourage local food security

“From God’s initial command to be good stewards of creation to the Prophets’ call for justice among governments and nations, people of faith in every age are called together to work for the common good,” begins the statement by the Religious Working Group.

As people of faith we are called to advocate for a just Farm Bill that will ensure “daily bread” for all, literally and figuratively. As we work for Farm Bill reform, may the goal be to produce a bill that would more aptly be named the “Sustainable Living Bill,” for the U.S. Farm Bill has a true opportunity to take first steps toward the domestic and global community living sustainably together.

Contact PHP Farm Bill Organizer Fritz Gutwein or Andrew Kang Bartlett to get involved

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