Commodity Policy
The Farm Bill, the bill that sets commodity policies, is not a sexy piece of legislation. It won't attract media attention like abortion or gay marriage. For many Americans, the Farm Bill passes without fanfare every five or so years, and they have no idea that it ever affected their lives.
The Farm Bill affects everyone who eats or pays taxes. If that's not you, feel free to skip worrying about it. Commodity policy set by the Farm Bill touches America's economy, environment, and energy supply and efficiency, not to mention the physical health of the American people.
We want a commodity policy that promotes smallness over bigness, family over corporate, and stewardship over extractive production. Big Business wants the opposite - and as long as every American who eats is not angry, they get their way.
Current commodity policies leave farmers living at subsistence levels, and promote industry consolidation, harmful environmental practices, and obesity and chronic, diet-related illnesses.
Our goal is to follow the lead of groups like the Community Food Security Coalition to find a way to move our country in the right direction.
More pages under this heading:
Commodities: A Historical LookCommodities: Conservation
Commodities: International Trade
Commodities: The Farm Bill
More information
DailyKos: Fair Markets for Farm Country (blog entry)DailyKos: Food Bill #1 - Netroots Betrays Farmers? (blog entry)
DailyKos: Food Bill #2 - USDA= Enron Corruption (blog entry)
DailyKos: The USDA's Craptastic 2007 Farm Bill Proposal (blog entry)
FT: Grain stockpiles at lowest for 25 years (article) October 12, 2006.
LA City Beat: Eat Your Green(s) (article)
Paul Krugman: Grains Gone Wild (article) April 7, 2008.
Tom Philpott: It's the Agronomy, Stupid (article) Why gutting subsidies shouldn't be the focus of Farm Bill reform efforts
Organizations
Family Farm Defenders (organization)National Family Farm Coalition (organization)
