Environmental Defense Applauds Farm Subsidy Reform Proposal by Bush Administration

(February 7, 2005 - Washington) Environmental Defense today praised the Bush Administration’s proposal to reform farm subsidies in the FY 2006 Budget Request.

“Subsidy reform that helps more farmers and ranchers is long overdue, and we applaud the president for addressing the issue,” said Environmental Defense farm policy campaign director Scott Faber.

“Simply put, our farm policy is broken,” Faber said. “It doesn’t help most farmers, hurts many farmers at home and abroad, harms the environment and fails to sufficiently reward stewardship and economic innovation. Congress should take this chance to overhaul our farm programs to help more farmers and ranchers succeed, comply with our trade agreements and protect the environment.”

Only one-third of America’s farmers are even eligible for farm subsidies, most of which flow to the largest, most successful producers of feed grains, rice and cotton. Of all eligible farmers, 80 percent receive less than $2,000 a year.

“The current system invites retaliatory tariffs that frequently fall on the producers of livestock, fruit and vegetables and other farm products are not eligible for subsidies,” Faber said.  “Many of our farms get none of the benefits of subsidy programs but face many of the costs.”

Farm subsidies also harm the environment by encouraging many farmers to grow crops on sensitive lands, like wetlands and grasslands, and by encouraging the conversion of rangeland and pastureland to crops that require more water and chemicals. Furthermore, our farm programs do not sufficiently encourage stewardship.

“Because most farm spending flows to large row crop farmers, four out of five farmers are rejected when they offer to share the cost of environmental improvements,” Faber said. “In 2003, USDA turned away thousands of farmers in 2003 offering to restore more than 700,000 acres of wetlands. That’s more wetlands than the entire nation loses in a decade.”

Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 400,000 members.  Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems.