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Voice of reason
By Seymour Klierly Nothing I could say about agriculture and the current debate over the farm bill would come close to the eloquent editorial released this week by Senator Blanche Lincoln for FarmPolicyFacts.org. Senator Lincoln's vote in the agriculture committee is critical to passing a bill out of committee. Chairman Harkin will have a difficult time keeping her on board with his proposals. Below are a few excerpts from her editorial. "Unfortunately, all too often you can open up a newspaper to find at least one article attacking the American farmer and condemning the policies enacted to ensure America maintains the world's most affordable, abundant and safe food supply. "It is well-past the time for these attacks on American farmers and American farm policies to stop. "Farmers and ranchers are the lifeblood of this country. In addition to feeding and clothing us--no small feat considering the world's population will reach 8 billion by 2025--they are an economic engine we all depend on whether directly connected to the farm or not. "American agriculture generates approximately 20 percent of this country's Gross Domestic Product and employs 17 percent of the American workforce. At a time when the U.S. trade deficit is reaching record highs, agriculture products remains an area where the U.S. retains a trade surplus. At a time when our dependency on foreign oil has never been greater, agriculture provides fuel for our automobiles. America's farm and range land is also home to three quarters of the nation's wildlife. "The positive impact is felt far beyond the farm. American shoppers spend less of their incomes on groceries than shoppers from any other country in the world. "As Americans we have all witnessed the repercussions of a heavy dependency on foreign sources for our oil. We would be remiss to haphazardly become equally dependent on foreign sources for food. Regardless of the numbers of farmers in your state, the importance of farm policy to every family in the country is becoming clearer by the day with every report we read about China's food safety issues. "Given these facts, it is perplexing to me why anyone would want to weaken the policies that helped create the success story which is American agriculture. "Rather than spend time recounting the myriad of misinformation used by farm critics, I'll highlight some of the things they won't tell you about our nation's farm policy. "Critics will never mention that farm programs have come in approximately $25 billion under budget since the 2002 farm bill was enacted. "They also will gloss over the fact that every nation around the world subsidizes their farmers and many of these countries do so at much higher levels than the United States. Former U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman routinely noted that agriculture is the most heavily distorted economic market in the world. "Finally, critics won't tell you that the farm safety net accounts for less than three tenths of one percent of the federal budget. When you consider it ensures a safe and abundant food supply produced right here in America, that seems like a very wise use of federal dollars to me. "The farm bill represents a critical connection between farming, environmental stewardship, and nutrition for the world's people. I am proud of our farm families and what they provide. And I am proud that our farm policy represents a commitment to these hard working Americans. "Like every policy crafted in Washington, the farm bill should be thoroughly debated. But during that debate, we must all be careful not to attack the men and women who put food on our tables and clothes on our backs."
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