Contact: Mark Schultz, Land Stewardship Project, 612-722-6377

7/3/03
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee re-opened the 2002 Farm Bill last week by making deep cuts to some of the key programs supported by family farm organizations.

The appropriations bill proposes to slash funding for key family farm, rural development, conservation and research programs by $445 million. The new appropriations bill would reduce rural development farm bill funding by 99 percent, agricultural research by 98 percent, renewable energy by 31 percent and conservation by at least 17 percent, according to an analysis by the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. The analysis is based on Congressional Budget Office figures. The bill specifically prohibits funding for implementation of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat, the Conservation Security Program and Value-Added Producer Grants.

"Corporate agribusiness, the commodity groups and their allies in Congress are doing all they can to rip apart the very few decent programs that came out of the 2002 farm bill," said Missouri crop and livestock farmer and Missouri Rural Crisis Center member Bill Christison. "Instead of using backdoor politics and dirty tricks, Congress needs to take action on the issues important to America's family farms and rural communities."

The Campaign for Family Farms is proposing effective policy changes that will address the issues of corporate concentration and control over the livestock industry. In addition to restoring funding for country of origin labeling, the Conservation Security Program and Value-Added Producer Grants, the Campaign for Family Farms (CFF) urges Congress to enact:

"This is an opportunity for our elected officials to do something about excessive and increasing control of the livestock industry by corporate giants like Cargill and Smithfield," said Minnesota livestock producer and Land Stewardship Project member Paul Sobocinski. "Rather than worsen an already bad farm bill, as the House Appropriations Committee has done, Congress must make changes that will help, not hurt, family farmers, rural communities and the environment."

"We call on our Representatives and Senators to stand up to the Appropriations Committee and reject their changes to the farm bill," said Iowa farmer and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement member Larry Ginter. "We can't let corporate agribusiness control our democracy with scare tactics and half-truths."

The Campaign for Family Farms is leading the charge for fair and competitive markets for independent family farmers, and for corporate agribusiness accountability to the American public. CFF members include the Land Stewardship Project, Missouri Rural Crisis Center, Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Illinois Stewardship Alliance.

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House Appropriations Bill Reductions to Farm Bill Spending in Millions
Source: Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Farm Bill Program Area	Farm Bill FY 04 Baseline	Reduction in House Appropriations Bill	Additional FY 04 Cut	Percentage Cut
Commodity Programs	17,280	0		0%
NRCS Conservation Programs	1,729	134	159	17%
Rural Development	170	168		99%
Research	123	120		98%
Renewable Energy	74	23		31%
FSA Conservation (CRP)	1,829	0		0%