The Farm Bill Ignores the Real Troubles of U.S. Agriculture

Dec 14, 2018 at 07:19 AM CST
True farming reform means adjusting the system to support small and midsize producers and cultivating a more sustainable system of agriculture. Amid a five-year farm recession, continuing woes for small dairy farmersand a trade war with China, a lot is riding on this year’s Farm Bill. But the version Congress approved this week and that President Trump is expected to sign could make a bad situation worse. For years, Farm Bill subsidies have been skewed to benefit the rich and powerful. The 2018 subsidies — nearly $900 billion worth — reinforces the status quo, and that’s a danger not just to small farmers but to the nation’s farms, period.

Dec 14, 2018 at 07:19 AM CST

True farming reform means adjusting the system to support small and midsize producers and cultivating a more sustainable system of agriculture.

Amid a five-year farm recession, continuing woes for small dairy farmersand a trade war with China, a lot is riding on this year’s Farm Bill. But the version Congress approved this week and that President Trump is expected to sign could make a bad situation worse.

For years, Farm Bill subsidies have been skewed to benefit the rich and powerful. The 2018 subsidies — nearly $900 billion worth — reinforces the status quo, and that’s a danger not just to small farmers but to the nation’s farms, period.