Farm Bill Needs Urgent Revision to Help Small Farmers

  November 08, 2007 - Most U.S. citizens have not heard about the Farm Bill, which is unfortunate considering how many people are directly and indirectly affected by it. The Farm Bill is a law renewed every five years (up for renewal this year), and is charged with regulating agricultural trade, rural development and food stamps. A major component of the Farm Bill are commodity subsidies, which has lately become a topic of great controversy, not to mention other issues affecting global trade and the environment.

At the heart of this controversy is a subsidy regime that is leaving many family farmers in the dark, and making a small handful of cash crop farmers very rich. Of the 25% of farmers who even qualify for these subsidies in the first place, 10% of them receive 72% of the subsidies. And those who are receiving them are making more money. For example, in 2003, half of all commodity subsidies went to farms with household incomes of approximately $76,000 (over $30,000 more than the median household income in the U.S.).

The way commodity subsidies are currently apportioned is linked with environmental damage as well. There are only a small handful of crops that qualify for subsidies, all of which are grown with high levels of pesticides and other chemicals from a few handful of farmers who have essentially monopolized the crops and created a system of mass production that is made easier with pesticide and herbicide use. If subsidies were better apportioned, it would encourage more organic farming practices. Furthermore, three out of four farmers who seek federal aid to reduce environmental damage from their farming practices are denied due to a lack of funds in the Farm Bill.

Lastly, the current Farm Bill is set up in a way that is anything but conducive to Fair Trade practices. Farmers in developing countries simply cannot compete with the overproduction of many crops in the U.S., such as cotton, which are then exported by U.S. farmers for very low prices that small farmers cannot compete with. Currently, the Farm Bill does not comply with international trade rules in the World Trade Organization, which the U.S. agreed to abide by. A revised Farm Bill could make things right with the international community.

What can you do to help revise the Farm Bill this year? Obviously, this entails contacting your local Congressional representatives and Senators. Even better is to pay a visit to Oxfam America - an affiliate of Oxfam International. Oxfam is an international relief and development organization committed to making trade fair and fighting for social justice. The Oxfam America website provides a vast resource of information about the Farm Bill, as well as many suggestions on how you can make a difference for small farmers living in rural communities around the world. Click banner above to visit Oxfam America.

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