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Wisconsin Ag News Headlines |
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Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act Unveiled by Rep. Kind
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 03/16/2007
Wisconsin Congressman Rep. Ron Kind unveiled the first major bill in Congress dealing with the reauthorization of the 2007
Farm Bill. On Thursday, the La Crosse Democrat and several other lawmakers introduced the Healthy Farms, Foods, and
Fuels Act of 2007, which is a bipartisan bill that would double conservation spending to provide cleaner air, water and wildlife habitat, while helping stabilize global warming and provide consumers with greater access to healthy foods over the life of the next farm bill.
"The Farm Bill represents a unique opportunity for Congress to achieve real agriculture reform, and to invest in our rural
communities," said Kind, the bill's lead sponsor and a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means. "The Healthy
Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act lays out a plan to restructure our farm and food policies to help many more farmers and regions
of this country, and also help us meet some of America's biggest energy, health and environmental challenges."
The bill makes a major new investment in the development of renewable energy on American farms, promotes resource
conservation, provides consumers with healthier food choices, and boosts farm profitability. The Healthy Farms, Foods, and
Fuels Act of 2007 also includes a provision to assist farmers in transitioning to organic production, and expands programs to
bring healthier foods to school cafeterias.
"Like all legislation, the Farm Bill is a statement of priorities and The Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act embodies many of
the priorities that I believe we as a nation should be focused on," Senator Menendez said. "I was proud to work alongside
Representatives Kind and Gerlach in creating new opportunities for our small farmers and in increasing access to healthier
foods for Americans most in need, including children and seniors."
The Healthy Farms, Foods and Fuels Act aims to increase from $200 million to $2 billion annual loan guarantees for renewable
energy development on farms; expand programs that provide local, healthy food choices to our school children and
dramatically expand coupon programs that allow elderly and low income Americans to shop at farmer's markets; increases
incentives by $3 billion a year for farmers and ranchers to protect drinking water supplies and make other environmental
improvements; provides funding to restore nearly three million acres of wetlands; and provides funding to protect six million
acres of farm and ranch land from sprawl.
"Right now, USDA spends too much subsidizing million-dollar farm operations, and too little helping farmers be better stewards
of our land," Rep. Kind said. "Three out of four farmers are rejected when they seek USDA conservation assistance because
of our misplaced spending priorities. We can't hope to clean up the Mississippi, the Chesapeake, or other environmental
priorities if we don't give our farmers the right tools and incentives."
According to the Natural Resource Conservation Service, there was a $2.93 million backlog in conservation spending in 2004,
with only 26 percent of the total project applications being funded. In Wisconsin, the percentage of projects that went
unfunded was even higher, at 37 percent, giving the state a $31.5 million backlog in conservation spending alone. The Healthy
Farms, Fuels, and Foods Act of 2007 would infuse an extra $3 billion a year into conservation spending to eliminate this
backlog.
Currently, the measure has 64 cosponsors.
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