Farm and Food Policy Reform Amendment Benefits 348 Districts, Analysis Shows

Contact:
Scott Faber – 202-572-3315 or sfaber@environmentaldefense.org
Sharyn Stein – 202-572-3396 or sstein@environmentaldefense.org

(Washington, DC - July 24, 2007) An amendment to reform federal farm and food policies to help more farmers and to better address hunger, health and environmental challenges would increase federal farm spending in 348 congressional districts when compared with extension of the 2002 Farm Bill.  That’s according to analysis conducted by a former USDA official on behalf of Environmental Defense, a national environmental group.

The Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment to the 2007 Farm Bill will be offered by a bipartisan group of legislators to reduce and restructure farm subsidies and to increase spending on USDA nutrition, conservation and rural development programs.

“The Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment will help ensure that our farm and food policies help more farmers, consumers and communities,” said Scott Faber, Environmental Defense Farm Policy Campaign. “This analysis shows that voting for reform and against the status quo will be a vote to meet the needs of local farmers, the hungry, and the environment.”

The Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment would reform subsidies by replacing depression-era prices guarantees with a modern, revenue-based safety net developed by USDA, placing reasonable limits on crop subsidies, controlling the administrative costs of crop insurance, and by gradually reducing “direct” subsidy payments linked to past production.

The amendment increases nutrition spending by $5.4 billion over five years, increases conservation spending by $6 billion over five years, and makes other investments to help fruit and vegetable growers, minority farmers, and boost rural development.

To learn more about individual congressional districts, you can download an Excel spreadsheet of the analysis here.