The farm bill is a critical tool for ensuring our nation’s food supply remains secure. Funding for this comprehensive package, which could more accurately be called a food and farm bill, includes risk management tools for farmers, access to nutrition for low-income families, conservation programs and investments in agricultural research.
No one buys insurance for the good times, and similarly, farm bill programs provide critical tools to help farmers and ranchers manage risk. Farm programs are written to provide a basic level of protection to help offset bad economic times and severe weather. The 2018 farm bill brought certainty to farm and ranch families through crop insurance, improved risk management programs and support for beginning farmers and ranchers, while also providing much-needed funding for trade development and ag research. The entire package was budget neutral and received strong bipartisan support.
The farm bill is reauthorized every five years. Congress passed an extension of the 2018 farm bill, which will now expire on September 30, 2024. Congress must pass a modernized farm bill in order to fully protect our food, land and livelihoods.
Farming is a difficult and risky business, yet critical to the well-being of our nation. It’s often stated that food security is national security. Few pieces of legislation are more significant than the farm bill when it comes to ensuring our food system is secure. We urge lawmakers to recognize this significance as they consider updating and improving the farm bill.
We support the following principles to guide development of programs in the next farm bill:
The food and farm bill has been a bipartisan effort in the past. The farm bill presents an important opportunity for lawmakers to rise above partisanship and work together again to pass legislation that protects food security for all Americans and the future success of our farmers and ranchers.
The farm bill is one of the mightiest tools to protect our nation’s food supply and strengthen agriculture.
- Zippy Duvall, AFBF President
Farmers and ranchers have a golden opportunity to stress the importance of farm policy with their state and federal lawmakers, as well as the public. Many people are unaware of the benefits of the farm bill, and few are better-positioned than farmers and ranchers to provide a firsthand account.
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