Food security faces imminent risks from climate change---farm bill key

This year, drought is contributing to the largest abandonment of winter wheat acres since 1917 and the shrinking of the U.S. cattle herd, now the smallest in 60 years. In addition to increased drought, climate change is driving rising temperatures, wildfires and torrential rains, and is already affecting food production in the U.S. Yet, as Congress works on a new five-year Farm Bill, there are few signs that members grasp the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for dramatic policy shifts to address escalating challenges for both farmers and consumers.

Last week, the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment (which includes family farm groups in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and South Dakota, plus IATP and Food & Water Watch), published a new report outlining how the Farm Bill could help protect the country’s food supply, stabilize agriculture markets with fair prices for farmers and promote greater climate resilience in our food system. The report examines proposed farm policies that include grain reserves, a price floor and ceiling, and a set aside program to better manage supplies of key agriculture commodities like wheat, corn and soybeans. When integrated with popular conservation programs that support practices, such as more diverse crop rotations, perennial grasses, regenerative grazing or cover crops, these policies would make progress toward protecting the food system against incoming climate shocks. These proposed policies also would remove a critical subsidy in the form of cheap, below-cost feed to a high greenhouse gas emitting factory farm system of animal and dairy production.