Focus should be on principles when writing farm bill

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As Congress moves forward to adopt a new farm bill this year, many agricultural and commodity groups lobby and submit their views and priorities to help their select, narrow constituents. The one thing that has been rewarding to watch the past year has been the involvement of social-minded groups in farm bill discussions.

These groups at times are labeled as activists or insurgents by agriculture groups. One such group is “The Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill.” It consists of more than 12 Christian denominations, the National Council of Churches USA and other major faith-based organizations. They see the injustice to Main Street rural America, and her family farmers, and the damage our farm policy has had on farmers worldwide.

The disease has been low farm prices for 107 months out of 120 months, or nine out of 10 years since “the 1996 Freedom to Farm Bill.” The disease’s treatment for low prices has been government subsidies or welfare payments. The 1996 farm bill was touted to get the government out of agriculture and to be cheaper because it would increase exports with low-farm gate prices.

The cheap grain prices for most of this farm bill have stagnated exports and subsidized industrial livestock production with corn and bean meal below cost of production. It has also made rural America and her Main Street look like inner city slums. The most damaging has been the exacerbation of the exporting of our best and brightest children to leave rural America to get higher paying jobs in the suburbs.

 Back to these religious-driven groups. Their guiding principles are for the 2007 Farm Bill:

1. Increase investments that combat rural poverty and strengthen rural communities. (Less free and reduced lunches in our school systems, not more.)

2. Strengthen and expand programs that reduce hunger and improve nutrition in the United States.

3. Strengthen and increase investments in policies that promote conservation and good stewardship of the land.

4. Provide transitions for farmers to alternative forms of support that are more equitable and do not distort trade in ways that fuel hunger and poverty. (Price supports at cost of production, not welfare, make the end user pay, not the American taxpayer.)

5. Protect the health and safety of farm workers. (Instead of exploitation of the poor.)

6. Expand research related to alternative, clean and renewable forms of energy. (Move toward energy independence.)

7. Improve and expand international food aid in ways that encourage local food security. (As all countries have a right to defend themselves with an army, the right to feed themselves is no less sovereign. Our farm policy should not drive indigenous cultures from their rural farms.)

Signers are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), Episcopal Church, National Council of Churches USA, Washington office, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bread for the World Church, National Catholic Rural Life and others.

This working group’s guiding principles are actually less expensive than today’s farm bill. Once in a while you can do more good with less money if you focus your principles. “Eating is a moral act” is on the Web at www.ncrlc.com, which is the site of National Catholic Rural Life. NCRLC is right on target, because this farm bill affects every one of us. This year is a fork in the road for America’s heartland. Agribusiness has written the last two or three farm bills. Our farmers and rural communities can not afford to watch from the sidelines. Get informed and be involved. Our churches, schools and rural people depend on good policy and economic justice.

Keith Bolin is president of the American Corn Grower’s Association.