Here’s a statement on the long-awaited passing of the 2008 farm bill, courtesy of the California Food and Justice Coalition.
CFJC Statement on the Passing of the 2008 Farm Bill
The farm bill passed by Congress reflects the tireless work of food justice, anti-hunger and sustainable agriculture advocates, as well as the entrenched power of the agri-business lobby in Washington DC. The bill includes important new funding for nutrition, beginning and minority farmer, sustainable agriculture and local food system programs. Unfortunately, it also includes a continuation of commodity programs that subsidize the production of a few crops (mostly corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton and rice) to the benefit of mega-farms and corporate agri-business, and at the greater expense of public health, the environment, farming communities worldwide.