wfn.org | Methodist Board Comments on Farm Bill

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SEARCH: 1996 farm bill, family farmers, environment, agriculture, law

CONTACT:  Joretta Purdue                       216(10-24-71){2862}
          Washington, D.C.  (202) 546-8722           April 9, 1996

Board of Church and Society,
other groups comment on 1996 Farm Bill

     WASHINGTON (UMNS) -- A new farm bill has been enacted, but
the General Board of Church and Society has joined 88 national
and regional organizations to advise the President to "take
strong administrative action to make the best of the flawed farm
bill."
     In a letter from the Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
dated April 4, the same day that the President signed the bill
into law, the organizations expressed concern about its effects
on family farmers, rural communities, consumers and the
environment.
     "The problems with this bill," they wrote, "make it
especially critical that you use the full measure of your
administrative authority to do everything possible with its most
positive features."
     Specifically the letter urges the President to follow
through on a commitment to reopen the commodity programs of the
farm bill after the election. The legislation, as passed,
destroys the safety net for family farmers while continuing
subsidies for the nation's largest farms and agribusinesses, the
letter alleges.
     Its authors also advocate use of the authorized funds to
help small and moderate size farms, to aid beginning farmer
finance and minority farmer outreach, and to commit the research
dollars in the fund to create new environmentally sound
production and marketing options for family farms and rural
communities.
     The letter urges strong enforcement of environmental
provisions by the President.
     "Though we did not support its passage due to severely
flawed commodity provisions, it has some positive features in
conservation, rural development and nutrition," the letter said
as its signers offer to provide input into the rule-making and
implementation of the legislation.
     The regional and national organizations represented among
signers of the letter included the Community Alliance with Family
Farmers, Union of Concerned Scientists, Committee for Sustainable
Agriculture, Heifer Project International, Kansas Rural Center
and others.
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