Farm and Food Policy Project
Faith groups partner with farm, food and civil society groups


A diverse alliance of farm, rural, public health, anti-hunger, nutrition, conservation, renewable energy, faith-based, and other groups have joined together to support a 2007 Farm Bill that better serves the common good. This broad, growing alliance is calling for a new direction in farm and food policy – one that takes the patchwork of existing programs that serve too few and creates instead a system that advances the interests of all Americans.

The National Catholic Rural Life Conference and the National Council of Churches are active participants in this project, serving on policy committees and shaping the initial coalition statement, Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food Policy. The next eight pages presents the core priorities and key innovations that the coalition is promoting for the 2007 Farm Bill.

Working together, it is possible to bring balance to federal farm and food policies and advance innovations that will help revitalize our agriculture, create healthier people and more prosperous communities, and leave a legacy of healthy land, water, and air for our children.

Opportunity Calls
The 2007 Farm Bill is an unprecedented opportunity for farm and food policy change, due to:
Rising federal deficits
Threat of trade sanctions
Continuing unmet needs of farmers and ranchers
Increasing public concern about the environment
Increasing public concern about diet-related health issues
Burgeoning consumer demand for fresh, local and
sustainably produced foods

CURRENT IMBALANCES IN THE U.S. AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM

Most farmers and ranchers don’t benefit from current farm policies: The bulk of commodity payments go to a small number of the largest farms, subsidizing farm consolidation and hastening the disappearance of moderately-sized family farms.

A legacy of unfair treatment: A long history of discrimination in farm program delivery has prevented many minority farmers from obtaining credit and participating in crop insurance, commodity, and conservation programs.

Fewer farmers, lost farmland: The health and security of our food system depends on a viable base of farmland and a new generation to work in agriculture. More than one million acres of farmland are lost every year – roughly two acres a minute.

Farmers seeking to improve the environment are turned away: America’s farmers and ranchers, as stewards of more than half the country’s lands, are the key to solving many of the nation’s greatest environmental challenges. Yet conservation programs designed to address water, air and wildlife challenges are not available to 75% of farmer applicants.

Rural communities are losing population: Rural communities are the backbone of our agriculture and food system. But farm-dependent counties in the United States lose population due to a lack of employment opportunities, declining education and health services, and the erosion of other community assets needed to retain young people.

Too many Americans face hunger in a land of plenty: Over 35 million Americans live in households that are not able to afford the food they need throughout the year. Farm workers – those who harvest the food for our tables – are particularly vulnerable to hunger, with three out of five farm worker families living below the federal poverty line.

Many communities lack access to healthy foods: Experts know that limited access to supermarkets reduces the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Lacking access to affordable and nutritious foods, individuals in low-income and underserved communities are unable to make positive changes to their diets and those of their children.


National Catholic Rural Life Conference
4625 Beaver Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50310-2199
(515) 270-2634
email address: ncrlc@mchsi.com
website: www.ncrlc.com

This article was published in the Spring 2007 issue of Catholic Rural Life©. No portion of this article may be reproduced without written permission from The National Catholic Rural Life Conference. To purchase the Spring 2006 issue of Catholic Rural Life, please contact The National Catholic Rural Life Conference office at 4625 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50310-2199, call (515) 270-2634, or e-mail ncrlc@mchsi.com. The cost is $2.50 an issue plus postage and handling.