What’s Up With the Farm Bill?
After hundreds of legislative visits, thousands of emails, and one march on the Capitol for climate action, we’re finally getting the opportunity to see Chairman Thompson’s vision for the Farm Bill. Evidence of our collective advocacy–like a preapproval pilot program for FSA farm ownership loans and increased funding for NRCS conservation programs–is dotted throughout the House version of the bill. Still, the draft largely neglects many of our most critical priorities.
Climate resilience and land access received little support while commodity programs and crop insurance were granted billions of additional dollars. These increased subsidies to industrial agriculture come at the expense of future SNAP benefits and the millions of Americans who face food insecurity.
So, what do we do now? In this video, Adrienne Nelson and Lindsey Shapiro, organizers with the National Young Farmers Coalition and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, answered questions you may have about the bill and discussed opportunities to influence the draft as it enters the next stage of the process. Policy experts from the National Young Farmers Coalition will also be on hand to provide insights from inside the DC Beltway.
Recorded June 10, 2024