An early draft of the 2007 Farm Bill, released Monday by US House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (MN), is disappointing for everyone hoping that this year the Ag Committee would finally acknowledge the global reach of American agriculture policy. Instead of taking this rare opportunity to reduce misguided trade distorting subsidies and redirect funds to programs that need them the most, the chairperson wishes to continue enriching the CEOs of corporate farms at the expenses of millions living in poverty aboard.Fortunately, all US representatives can influences the final House version of the 2007 Farm Bill. Use the House's constituent contact page now to ask your representative for meaningful Farm Bill reform.
In response to the Ag Committee draft, Oxfam America issued the following statement on July 9:
In reaction to the release of the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee Chairman’s Mark for the 2007 Farm Bill, Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America, made the following statement:
"The Chairman’s Mark for the 2007 Farm Bill is an insult to our trading partners and to poor farmers around the world. Once again, the Committee missed the mark, by drafting a bill that continues trade distorting commodity subsidies, which if reduced, could be used to expand funding for nutrition programs."
"This bill flies in the face of the reform agenda advocated by Congressional leaders and doesn’t even attempt to address the fact that our agriculture programs are brazenly out of step with our international commitments. And the bill takes our farm policy from bad to worse by reinstating additional subsidies on cotton that were ruled as illegal by the World Trade Organization and subsequently eliminated by the previous Congress."
“Reauthorization of food aid programs contained in the mark is welcome, given that food aid can be an essential way to help relieve the suffering of hungry people around the world. But the empty promises of increased funding and failure to look at improving the efficiencies food aid, such as shifting to local purchasing that can enhance local markets and support livelihoods in poor countries, are rather disappointing."
"This is still a draft, however, and there is still time to reform our farm programs. The House leadership must demand that the Agriculture Committee write a Farm Bill that meets the needs of all American farmers, increases funding for hunger programs and rural development and doesn’t hurt poor farmers abroad.”
