14 Industry news nutrition programs – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. Several disaster programs are also permanently authorized. That said, these programs will not have the potential improvements and updates that would accompany a new Farm Bill. But the Bureau notes that farm safety net programs will revert back to outdated policies that threaten to disrupt markets. It called on lawmakers to provide funds to bridge the gap, which at press time, were still under consideration. But at a White House news conference in early October, seasoned Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he still wasn’t giving up. “The reality is this has got to be done before the end of the year,” he said, adding, “there’s better odds than not that we get it done.” Vilsack noted that the Republican and Democratic leaders of their respective agriculture committees, perhaps spurred on by the prospects of a total failure, were once again engaged in discussions. He called that “a good sign.” TURNING POINT Some, though, view the bill upheaval as a veiled blessing, one that could mark a turning point in agricultural policy. They claim the Farm Bill has been dying for years anyway, and that the U.S. needs a modernized Farm Bill that recognizes realities that didn’t exist in the 1930s when the original bill was drafted, or even six years ago when the last bill was written. Among the proponents for change is AFB President Vincent “Zippy” Duvall. In July, with deadlines nearing, Duvall called for not only reauthorizing the bill, but for a whole makeover. “When the current Farm Bill was drafted in 2018, the agricultural landscape was drastically different,” he said. “Policy that pre-dates a global pandemic, historic inflation, skyrocketing supply costs and geopolitical uncertainty just won’t cut it today or next year.” Added chief economist Cryan: “The 2018 Farm Bill was a good law for its time, but that time is past. And that farmers are calling for a new farm bill, and not an extension, is telling. Farmers face many difficulties this year and next, from crashing crop prices to backed up transportation systems to [the] devastating hurricane. All of these demonstrate how much farmers can suffer from a lack of the certainty and support that a new Farm Bill can provide.” One change called for by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform, was better support for local and regional food grant programs. It noted that in 2022, more than 60,000 farms sold their products to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs marketed as local and regional products, with sales valuing $14.2 billion. That’s an increase of nearly 60 per cent since the last Farm Bill. The coalition says the growth can partially be attributed to the increased reliance on local and regional food systems that followed fractured national supply chains during the Covid-19 pandemic. So where to now? Illinois Rep. Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat and member of the House Committee on Agriculture, says the Farm Bill must prioritize support for the next generation of farmers, provide resources for rural development and invest in agricultural research. She says it should also enhance conservation programs, protect crop insurance, promote biofuels and improve food access – admirable goals for a new U.S. government now grappling with a slate of priorities into which agriculture must somehow fit. Owen Roberts is a Canadian journalist who currently lives and works in the U.S. as a faculty member at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.• continued from page 15 “‘The Farm Bill put US$428 billion into farming, nutrition programs, and food aid from 2017-2022.’
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