This past week has been an important one for those keeping tabs on the 2007 Farm Bill debate. The 2002 Farm Bill previously ignored the needs of small American farmers as it gave huge payments and subsidies to high-grossing corporate farms. As corporate farms sold their produce below the true price of production, small rural farmers in America and abroad couldn’t keep up. Poverty climbed, and calls for agricultural reform came from those living both locally and globally.
Amazingly enough, California, as the biggest agricultural producer in the United States, had a relatively small voice and received little funding from the 2002 Farm Bill. Midwestern states, which have corporate farms focused in soy, corn, wheat, and cotton production, have generally taken the largest share of the pie. This year, Californian farmers rallied together to speak out for agricultural reform.
The USDA finally released its 2007 Farm Bill proposal Wednesday, giving Californian farmers and rural America a new hope for agricultural reform. Budget cuts are required in order to fulfill the Presidents plan for debt alleviation, but instead of backing big corporate farm interests (at least not as overtly as previously), the USDA has proposed a fairer Farm Bill that actively targets the populations who need the most nutritional and agricultural assistance. A renewed focus on small farmers, renewable energy research, conservation, and nutrition programs have been given a piece of the $20-million-a-year pie -- all while spending $10 million less than the 2002 Farm Bill.
Even more surprising is the $1.6 billion allocated for renewable resource research. Mirroring the President's 2007 State of the Union address, Bush’s apparent change of heart in seeking an energy alternative is in light of a mountain of evidence supporting global warming.
Somewhat disappointingly, ethanol has been presented to us as the cure to our impending energy crisis and a beacon of hope against global warming. Though ethanol production is backed by the large and powerful corn industry, the technology used to engineer cellulosic ethanol is not quite there yet. While the allocation of money will be, hopefully, well spent on the research side, the promise to cure our energy crisis in the next few years is not well founded. Even still, the corn industry could reap millions, or even billions from an interest in ethanol production. This will surly be one of the biggest concerns in congress about the USDA’s proposals.
And so the battle over billions of dollars in agricultural legislation begins. This is a preliminary stage of the debate, and certainly, corporate farm interests, the corn industry, the cotton industry and other lobbying giants are rallying around Capital Hill this very moment.
Steps have been taken in the right direction, as agricultural assistance should go to the other 2/3 of America’s farming community (2/3 of whom received little or no assistance from the previous Farm Bill). Small farmers that specialize in unique fruits and vegetables, organic produce, or have a commitment to eco-farming have been noticed. We will see if the interests of small, entrepreneur farmers wins out against the large corporate farms and if the promises for conservation, energy independence, and nutritional assistance will be further encouraged or eliminated.
