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Church World Service statement on 2007 Farm Bill reform

July 25, 2007

Through the Sow Justice campaign, Church World Service has called for broad reform of the Farm Bill to help family farmers in the U.S. and around the world save their farms, feed their families, and educate their children. True reform must authentically address the issue of low crop prices and reverse the current system of dependence and overproduction.

Specifically CWS has called for a reworking of U.S. food and farm policy so that there is ample support for the farmers who need it most, and a reduction of commodity payments to those who need it least. CWS has called for a shift of taxpayer dollars to programs that help conserve land for futures generations, to help resource-poor minority farmers, and promote rural development. 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.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the farm bill the week of July 23-27. The House Agriculture Committee is sending to the floor a bill that does not make the kind of reforms CWS has called for. The bill proposes to continue commodity programs that concentrate benefits among a few producers of selected crops.

The Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment, to be offered by a bipartisan group of legislators, takes some positive steps to reform U.S. farm and food policy.

One key reform included in the amendment would deny subsidies to large commercial farmers with average annual adjusted gross income greater than $250,000 and limits annual subsidies to $250,000 per person. This moves toward shifting commodity payments away from bigger producers and towards farmers who need it most.

The amendment proposes shifts in funding to:

Reward stewardship, increasing voluntary stewardship incentives by $3 billion over five years above the House Agriculture Committee's proposal.

Boost rural prosperity by providing $200 million more than the House Agriculture Committee invests over five years in grants and loans for the development of new rural enterprises.

Support minority farmers in the U.S., providing $500 million over five years above the House Agriculture Committee’s proposal and making overdue changes which will make USDA programs more accessible to minority farmers historically underserved by federal farm programs.

Expand school lunches overseas, increasing by $1.1 billion over five years the McGovern-Dole program to provide school lunches to hungry children in developing countries.

Increase domestic hunger assistance by at least $5.6 billion over five years to feed more people who need assistance, especially hungry children and seniors.

God's economy demands right relationships-so that all might have life and have it in abundance (John 10: 10). The 2007 Farm Bill presents an opportunity for change. It is possible to shift resources toward rural development in the U.S. without distorting markets and hurting resource poor farmers abroad.

While The Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment is not a perfect program for reform it deserves attention and consideration by the House of Representatives.

Read more about the "Sow Justice" campaign

Urge your Representative to support real Farm Bill reform!

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

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