The US Senate has returned from their August recess and shall soon turn their attention to the 2007 Farm Bill. This is the Senate's opportunity to correct the shortcomings of the US House, which passed a Farm Bill that largely upholds a status quo of disadvantaging small American farmers and undermining the economies of developing countries.Thanks to an outpouring of concern over the House's action, we expect -- and hope -- the Senate is coming to the table with a more open and longterm mindset. From the right-leaning CATO Institute (Ten Reasons to Cut Farm Subsidies) to the left-leaning Center for American Progress (Farm Bill Robs Poor to Pay Rich), objective thinkers are coming to the same conclusion: trade-distorting subsidies must be reduced to place American agriculture on a sustainable course and break cycles of poverty abroad. Meeting this call will also bring US policy into compliance with international trade regulations, placing the US in a better position to negotiate agreements that will benefit all sectors of our economy. In terms of advancing all trade, voices from around the world are concerned with the consequences of an unreformed Farm Bill -- including the Sydney Morning Herald.
Once passed, the 2007 Farm Bill will be on the books for five years, so the stakes are high. We must make sure the Senate's moniker as the "world's greatest deliberative body" rings true on the Farm Bill by letting our voices heard. Contact Senator Coleman and Senator Klobuchar and ask them to reduce trade-distorting subsidies in the Farm Bill. Want to get more involved? We welcome volunteers and good ideas! Contact us at oxfam.mn@gmail.com
Oxfam Action Corps - Minnesota is continuing to spread the world. Look for us at events around the state, including this Sunday's Crowded House concert in Minneapolis.
Stay tuned!
