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Church World Service calls citizens to immediate action on Farm Bill reform

July 25, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Church World Service is urging people to act immediately to help insure that a new Farm Bill makes it possible for farmers to get fair prices for their goods, toughens enforcement of antitrust laws, and supports healthy food programs for schools and institutions.

In a "Speak Out" alert, the New York-based humanitarian agency asks people to immediately contact their lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and urge them to vote to reform the U.S. farm bill so that it helps alleviate the suffering experienced by small farmers in the U.S. and around the world who are seriously affected by fluctuating crop prices caused by an export-oriented agriculture system that is increasingly dominated by global food corporations.

The action was prompted by CWS concerns about the expected Thursday House vote on a bill voted out of the House Agriculture Committee last week.

"It is possible that the House will vote on the bill by Thursday afternoon. That is why it is absolutely essential that people who care about the plight of struggling farmers here in the U.S., about government support for good nutrition, and about fairness to farmers here and abroad must act immediately. It is not too late to let the people who represent you in Congress know that you want them to support reforms," says Rajyashri Waghray, who heads the Church World Service education and advocacy program.

The CWS alert points out that this version of the Farm Bill "does little to help struggling farm and rural families in the United States, or hungry people here and around the world. It leaves largely untouched our current commodity programs, which concentrate payments in the hands of a few. The committee's farm bill would also do nothing to change policies that make it more difficult for farmers in poor countries to sell their crops and feed their families."

The alert is accompanied by a CWS statement detailing the agency's position on the Fairness in Farming and Food Production Amendment offered by Representatives Kind (D-WI) and Flake (R-AZ), one of the only amendments that proposes serious reform of the nation's food and agriculture policy.

Through its "Sow Justice" campaign, CWS has called for broad reform of the Farm Bill -- specifically, for a reworking of farm policy to provide ample support for the farmers who need it most and a reduction of commodity payments to those who need it least.

The agency also advocates shifting taxpayer dollars to land conservation and rural development programs, and assistance for resource-poor minority farmers. These reforms, in conjunction with recognizing the right of governments in developing countries to protect their own agricultural markets, will help farmers around the world.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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