Food and Farm Bill Produces Gains for Sustainable Agriculture
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act, otherwise known as the Food and Farm Bill, was enacted in June 2008 over a presidential veto. Although the bill is backward looking and misdirected in many respects, it produced significant gains for more modern and sustainable forms of agriculture. These gains include increases in funding to help small-scale organic farmers cover the cost of organic certification fees, financial support to help farmers transition their operations to organic, and research into how best to grow and market organic foods. In addition, the bill expands the landmark Conservation Stewardship Program, which rewards farmers who follow conservation practices, and provides new programs for research on traditional plant and animal breeding and the previously mentioned research on antibiotic use. Past experience demonstrates the need to follow through with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assure that these good programs are implemented as Congress intended.
