Focus farm bill on small farmers, not corporate ag, says Land Stewardship Project
When Congress writes the new farm bill, it should put a moratorium on agribusiness mergers, eliminate USDA cost-share money for methane digesters on factory farms and reduce crop insurance premiums for farmers who implement soil-health practices, said the Land Stewardship Project on Tuesday. The LSP, based in the upper Midwest and a proponent of sustainable agriculture, said the 2023 farm bill should restore competition in the marketplace and pay farmers for practices that have climate benefits.
Is agriculture’s moment in 2016 politics still to come?
The Iowa caucuses, often the high point for attention to agriculture, passed with little discussion of food or farm policy. Yet, "there are a number of signals that farm policy could continue to be a factor in voters’ decisions all the way to the general election, says National Journal.
Merrigan succeeds Hirshberg at AGree farm-policy project
Former deputy agriculture secretary Kathleen Merrigan will become a co-chair of the AGree farm-policy initiative, succeeding Gary Hirshberg, founder of the organic food company Stonyfield Farm. Hirshberg is a leader in the campaign to label GMO foods. As a Senate staff worker, Merrigan had a key role in legislation creating the national organic program in 1990 and in implementing it nearly a decade later at the USDA. She was deputy secretary from 2009-13.
Japan election puts cloud over farm-sector reform
In a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans for economic reform, including agriculture policy, his party's candidate for governor in heavily agricultural Saga prefecture was defeated in weekend elections.
AGree farm-policy project “is pivoting into action”
The three-year-old AGree project on food and agriculture policy "is pivoting into action," said co-chair Gary Hirshberg during a "Future of Food" forum.
Food and agriculture races to watch on Nov 4
From soda taxes in California to neck-and-neck Senate races in the heartland, an abundance of races of import for U.S. food and agriculture policy will be decided in the Nov 4 elections.