U.S. farm bill
Encyclopedia
In the United States, the farm bill is the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government
. The comprehensive omnibus bill
is passed every 5 years or so by the United States Congress
and deals with both agriculture and all other affairs under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture
.
It usually amends some and suspends provisions of permanent law, reauthorizes, amends, or repeals provisions of preceding temporary agricultural acts, and puts forth new policy provisions for a limited time into the future. Beginning in 1973, farm bills have included titles on commodity programs, trade, rural development, farm credit, conservation, agricultural research, food and nutrition programs, marketing, etc.
Farm bills can be highly controversial and can impact international trade
, environmental
preservation, food safety
, and the well-being of rural communities. The agricultural subsidy
programs mandated by the farm bills are the subject of intense debate both within the U.S. and internationally.
The current farm bill, known as the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
, replaces the last farm bill
which expired in September 2007.
, nine bills between 1965 and 2002 are "generally agreed" to be farm bills; the 2008 farm bill is the tenth.
The 2002 Farm Bill has been criticised by Michael Pollan
for making it economic to keep beef cattle in enclosed areas, feeding them cheap subsidised corn and antibiotics.
The latest 2008 Farm bill known as the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
increased spending to $288Bn therefore causing controversy at the time by increasing the budget deficit. It increased subsidies for biofuels which the World Bank has named as an important contributor to the 2007–2008 world food price crisis
.
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. The comprehensive omnibus bill
Omnibus bill
An omnibus bill is a proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics. Omnibus is derived from Latin and means "for everything"...
is passed every 5 years or so by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and deals with both agriculture and all other affairs under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
.
It usually amends some and suspends provisions of permanent law, reauthorizes, amends, or repeals provisions of preceding temporary agricultural acts, and puts forth new policy provisions for a limited time into the future. Beginning in 1973, farm bills have included titles on commodity programs, trade, rural development, farm credit, conservation, agricultural research, food and nutrition programs, marketing, etc.
Farm bills can be highly controversial and can impact international trade
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
, environmental
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
preservation, food safety
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
, and the well-being of rural communities. The agricultural subsidy
Agricultural subsidy
An agricultural subsidy is a governmental subsidy paid to farmers and agribusinesses to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and influence the cost and supply of such commodities...
programs mandated by the farm bills are the subject of intense debate both within the U.S. and internationally.
The current farm bill, known as the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 was a $288 billion, five-year agricultural policy bill that was passed into law by the United States Congress on June 18, 2008. The bill was a continuation of the 2002 Farm Bill. It continues the United States' long history of agricultural subsidy as...
, replaces the last farm bill
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, also known as the 2002 Farm Bill, includes ten titles, addressing a great variety of issues related to agriculture, ecology, energy, trade, and nutrition....
which expired in September 2007.
Non-farm bill agriculture legislation
- Federal Farm Loan ActFederal Farm Loan ActThe Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 was a United States federal law aimed at increasing credit to rural, family farmers. It did so by creating a federal farm loan board, twelve regional farm loan banks and tens of farm loan associations...
of 1916 - Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933
- Frazier–Lemke Farm Bankruptcy ActFrazier–Lemke Farm Bankruptcy ActThe Frazier–Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act was an Act of Congress passed in the United States in 1934 that restricted the ability of banks to repossess farms.-Background:Between 1933 and 1936, the United States Congress in conjunction with President Franklin D...
of 1934 - Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 was passed on July 22, 1937 and authorized acquisition by thefederal government of damaged lands to rehabilitate and use them for various purposes...
- Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 was legislation in the United States that was enacted as an alternative and replacement for the farm subsidy policies, in previous New Deal farm legislation , that had been found unconstitutional...
- Agricultural Act of 1948
- Agricultural Act of 1949Agricultural Act of 1949The Agricultural Act of 1949 is a United States federal law that is known as the "permanent legislation" of U.S. agricultural policy and is, in its amended form, still in effect. The Act was enacted on October 31, 1949...
- Agricultural Act of 1954Agricultural Act of 1954The Agricultural Act of 1954 is a United States federal law that, among other provisions, authorized a Commodity Credit Corporation reserve for foreign and domestic relief....
- Agricultural Act of 1956Agricultural Act of 1956The Agricultural Act of 1956 created the Soil Bank Program , addressed the disposal of Commodity Credit Corporation inventories of surplus stocks, contained commodity support program provisions, and contained forestry provisions...
- Farm Credit Act of 1971Farm Credit Act of 1971The Farm Credit Act of 1971 recodified all previous acts governing the Farm Credit System , a cooperatively owned government-sponsored enterprise that provides credit primarily to farmers and ranchers.- Background :...
- Penes Agreement
Farm bills
According to the Congressional Research ServiceCongressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service , known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a...
, nine bills between 1965 and 2002 are "generally agreed" to be farm bills; the 2008 farm bill is the tenth.
- Food and Agricultural Act of 1965
- Agricultural Act of 1970Agricultural Act of 1970The Agricultural Act of 1970 initiated a significant change in commodity support policy. This 3-year farm bill replaced some of the more restrictive and mandatory features of previous law with voluntary annual cropland set-asides and marketing certificate payments to achieve parity prices The...
- Agricultural and Consumer Protection Act of 1973
- Food and Agriculture Act of 1977Food and Agriculture Act of 1977The United States Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 was an omnibus farm bill. It increased price and income supports and established a farmer-owned reserve for grain. It also established a new two-tiered pricing program for peanuts. Under the peanut program, producers were given an acreage...
- Agriculture and Food Act of 1981Agriculture and Food Act of 1981The Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 was the 4-year omnibus farm bill that continued and modified commodity programs through 1985. It set specific target prices for 4 years, eliminated rice allotments and marketing quotas, lowered dairy supports, and made other changes affecting a wide range of...
- Food Security Act of 1985Food Security Act of 1985The Food Security Act of 1985 , a 5-year omnibus farm bill, allowed lower commodity price and income supports and established a dairy herd buyout program. This 1985 farm bill made changes in a variety of other USDA programs...
- Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 — P.L. 101-624 was a 5-year omnibus farm bill. This bill, also known as the 1990 farm bill, continued to move agriculture in a market-oriented direction by freezing target prices and allowing more planting flexibility.-Initial...
- Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 , known informally as the Freedom to Farm Act, the FAIR Act, or the 1996 U.S...
- Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, also known as the 2002 Farm Bill, includes ten titles, addressing a great variety of issues related to agriculture, ecology, energy, trade, and nutrition....
- Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 was a $288 billion, five-year agricultural policy bill that was passed into law by the United States Congress on June 18, 2008. The bill was a continuation of the 2002 Farm Bill. It continues the United States' long history of agricultural subsidy as...
The 2002 Farm Bill has been criticised by Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. A 2006 New York Times book review describes him as a "liberal foodie intellectual."...
for making it economic to keep beef cattle in enclosed areas, feeding them cheap subsidised corn and antibiotics.
The latest 2008 Farm bill known as the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 was a $288 billion, five-year agricultural policy bill that was passed into law by the United States Congress on June 18, 2008. The bill was a continuation of the 2002 Farm Bill. It continues the United States' long history of agricultural subsidy as...
increased spending to $288Bn therefore causing controversy at the time by increasing the budget deficit. It increased subsidies for biofuels which the World Bank has named as an important contributor to the 2007–2008 world food price crisis
2007–2008 world food price crisis
World food prices increased dramatically in 2007 and the 1st and 2nd quarter of 2008 creating a global crisis and causing political and economical instability and social unrest in both poor and developed nations. Systemic causes for the worldwide increases in food prices continue to be the subject...
.
External links
- U.S. Farm Bill 2007 Ag Observatory (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy)
- Farm Policy Facts
- American Farmland Trust
- USDA Bets the Farm on Animal ID Program