Farm bill will pass and solve food crisis

In Wichita, Kansas, Donna Pearson McClish, founder of Common Ground Producers and Growers, uses a “mobile food hub” model to move fresh food from local farms—both urban and rural—to low-income residents. Many use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and market vouchers to stretch their dollars, she explained in early February. In 2020, Common Ground from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to train entrepreneurs to grow and distribute food in low-income areas. In 2022, the organization partnered with the Kansas Rural Center to create a bigger food hub that will distribute local food in 12 counties along the interstate that runs from Wichita to Salina. That project will be funded by a larger $500,000 USDA grant. These efforts to feed people and distribute more local food in small but impactful ways are important to the state’s food system, yet they’re dwarfed by the scale of commodity farming in Kansas. In fact, between 1995 and 2021, the USDA also sent more than to wheat, sorghum, and corn farmers to continue producing commodities and $3 billion in payments to encourage conservation practices on those same farms. This funding—and the system it shapes—is determined by the federal farm bill, authorized by Congress every five years. Now, D.C. is abuzz with the start of 2023 negotiations, and Pearson McClish is one of many farmers and food advocates who are clamoring for change. At the summit, she likened the food system to critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads. “Food has to be a policy issue, not a profit issue,” she said. Over the course of this year, Civil Eats will report on a number of specific aspects of this important legislation. For starters, here’s an overview of the 2023 Farm Bill. What Is the Farm Bill? The enormous bill, which the Congressional Budget Office will cost about $700 billion over the next five years, is about both policy and profit. Depending on the year, the super-sized spending bill about a dozen sections, called titles. The largest titles authorize spending on SNAP benefits, subsidy payments for commodity farmers, crop insurance, and conservation programs. Agriculture Committees in the House and Senate hold hearings, negotiate, and then write drafts of the bill that eventually need to be reconciled into one. Usually, the bill is referred to as “zero sum,” which means lawmakers have a set amount of money to work with. That can lead to tense negotiations, especially now, when Democrats control the Senate and Republicans control the House, with demanded by a group of far-right lawmakers. What Will This Year’s Process Look Like? Some past farm bill cycles have taken years, and this one will, too. But many insiders say the evidence points toward swift negotiations and passage. GOP lawmakers typically spend time advocating for cuts to SNAP and stringent work requirements—and that effort has already begun—but newly appointed House Agriculture Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) has pushed back on some of his fellow Republicans’ rhetoric and expressed openness to climate-ag programs he once railed against. “Food has to be a policy issue, not a profit issue.” ~ Donna Pearson McClish Meanwhile, veteran Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow that she will not seek reelection next year; with this as her last farm bill cycle, she will likely up the ante on passing a farm bill that cements her legacy. “She’s going to do everything in her power—and she has a lot of power—to try to get it done,” said Ferd Hoefner, an agricultural policy strategist and consultant who has worked on nine previous farm bills. And the leadership recently announced that drafts of marker bills, the small bills that are used to create language to be added to the larger package, are due in mid-March (although that deadline may be extended). Whatever happens politically, it’s worth understanding what’s at stake beyond the negotiations and lobbying in D.C., and what the outcome of this policy process could mean for farmers and eaters alike, especially at a time when the climate crisis and food insecurity are both urgent issues. Will the Farm Bill’s Hunger Provisions Meet the Growing Need? For the past month, food pantries in many parts of the country have been for what they anticipate will be a surge in demand. After a dip in 2021, the number of families who reported “sometimes” or “often” not having enough to eat throughout 2022. Now, pandemic-related bumps in SNAP benefits have officially ended, with food prices still much higher than normal. Meanwhile, in Washington, Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas), the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, began the first hearing on nutrition programs in the 2023 Farm Bill by chiding the USDA for its 2021 update to the Thrifty Food Plan, which increased benefits based on the rise in food prices over time. It’s the one recent increase that won’t expire, but Boozman said it brought SNAP spending up to “levels that are unsustainable.” In the coming months, that tension between not enough and too much aid for hungry Americans will almost certainly resurface: Hunger groups will be fighting for expansions to SNAP that Democrats generally support, while many Republicans will sound alarms about the current cost and push for stricter . Last week, House Republicans which would make more SNAP recipients subject to work requirements. SNAP is the largest program authorized by the farm bill, and it is expensive: In 2018, it accounted for 75 percent of the projected $428 billion in farm bill spending between 2019 and 2023, and the Congressional Budget Office costs will rise 8.4 percent over the next 10 years. But SNAP’s proportion of the farm bill pie is so large because 40 million people participate annually. By comparison, commodity programs receive 7 percent of funding, but over the past five years only served an average of 850,000 farmers each year. Average commodity payments are in the tens of thousands of dollars, and some farms get them continuously for decades. A recent EWG analysis found one subset of larger farms had each received since 1985. In the last few farm bill cycles, hunger groups focused on defending against cuts to SNAP, said Gina Plata-Nino, deputy director of SNAP at the Food Research Action Center (FRAC). This time around, especially since the pandemic exposed how close many people were living to the edge, she said, . “This isn’t 2018. Our economy is not the same, and there are ways that people were impacted. We need to do better.” At the end of February, a coalition of 500 hunger and nutrition groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and the American Heart Association, released . Its members say lawmakers should protect the Thrifty Food Plan update and expand eligibility for , veterans, and

Farm bill is key to solve food insecurity.

22 [Aug 1, 2022;  University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Government and Sustainability Studies.  ]

The reauthorization of the omnibus can reduce food insecurity, benefit the environment, and increase agricultural equity across the country. For nearly a century, this piece of legislation has evolved to meet the needs of farmers and consumers from farm to table. Roughly every five years, the Farm Bill undergoes reauthorization, where legislative changes are made toto meet current-day market and economic conditions. The next reauthorization is in 2023; Congress can allocate funding to program initiatives that mitigate hunger, alleviate rural poverty, and increase efforts in environmental conservation. The expansive nature of the Farm Bill funds various programs, such as healthy food access for low-income communities; crop insurance; conservation stewardship initiatives; nutrition programs like SNAP and TEFAP; and farmer training for sustainable agriculture. Because the Farm Bill is vast, there are benefits included for everyone, signifying just how important and powerful the bill is. Since the early 1930s, Congress has passed 18 Farm Bills; the most recent was signed off by President Trump – . If a farm bill isn’t reauthorized, or for example, doesn’t pass in 2023, then the bill will return to its original format from 1949. Therefore, it’s necessary for Congress to ensure reauthorization to keep legislation current with modern-day economic and market standards. Last Thursday, held their Southwest Regional meeting for the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill. Bread for the World is a faith-based organization focused on ending hunger and promoting public policies that support its mission. During the meeting, they highlighted some of the agricultural and hunger difficulties the nation faces, such as the lack of diversity among farmers—95% being only white individuals—and how only 2% of cropland is used to grow fruits and vegetables. Additionally, over 38 million people face food insecurity, and children who grow up are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and are five times more likely to be obese. However, the Farm Bill can fund programs that help alleviate some of those agricultural and food challenges. The 2023 bill can strengthen food security, improve the domestic food supply and ensure quality produce while also providing job enhancement for the nearly in the food and agricultural fields. Funding can also be directed to increase land conservation through sustainable agriculture and research; improve risk management from crop loss, natural disasters, and inflation; and mitigate hunger with nutrition programs aimed at providing a healthy and affordable lifestyle for low-income communities. As are currently in progress, it’s essential to pressure Congress to implement the best possible strategies to improve social equity, end hunger, and follow through on climate promises. Additionally, as members of faith, we have a continual role to play in the reauthorization process. I encourage you to follow and join Bread for the World as they make strides in hunger advocacy; learn more about how to reach your representative, engage your church, and be politically active.