Samantha Capaldo is a law student at Drake University Law School. She is a guest contributor to this blog.
In the last several months, the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee has held listening sessions in different parts of the country to hear from local stakeholders and producers on what programs worked well from the 2018 Farm Bill and changes that Congress should implement in the 2023 Farm Bill. The Ag Committee held the 5th listening session in August in Ohio. Representative Cheri Bustos from the 17th District of Illinois and Representative Marcy Kaptur from the 9th District of Ohio hosted the session. Representative Kaptur opened the meeting by discussing her priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill, which include addressing unique issues of the Great Lakes and the hydrogen energy sector, bringing the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) money back to local producers, and increasing market share for regional producers. Approximately forty individuals spoke, including producers, researchers, members of non-profit organizations, and members of trade associations.
Many individuals focused their remarks on strengthening Farm Bill provisions related to climate change and conservation. Some of the proposals discussed by speakers include:
- Stabilizing the carbon program by allowing USDA to serve as a broker for carbon credits
- Creating standards for baseline carbon and carbon sequestration in the soil over time
- Raising the ethanol limit in the renewable fuel standard
- Eliminating funding for methane manure digesters to prevent algal blooms in the Erie River Basin
- Increasing support for composting programs through education and funding for existing and new programs
- Passing the Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program Act (COVER Act) which would provide a crop insurance discount for farmers who plant cover crops
- Requiring recipients of USDA grants to commit to climate-smart actions
Several other individuals discussed the crop insurance program. The speakers praised USDA for prompt payments and urged Congress to protect this title because it is a valuable risk management tool for farmers. Some of the proposals discussed by speakers include:
- Expanding options to support diversified operations and fruit and vegetable production
- Promoting disaster programs that protect against revenue loss due to weather events and price declines
- Discounting premiums for producers who adopt soil health practices
- Increasing production levels for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program
- Capping payments for large farms so large farms do not get larger and small and mid-size farms do not get left behind
Another main topic discussed in the listening session was the role of the land grant system and the research title. One of the speakers noted that funding the land grant system would lead to stability in the agricultural leadership pipeline and address the agriculture labor shortage by developing young leaders for the agriculture industry. Another speaker noted that China and India are outpacing the United States with funding for agriculture research. Some of the proposals discussed by speakers include:
- Increasing funding for extension and 4-H programs through the land grant system
- Passing the Research Facilities Act to address infrastructure issues and delayed maintenance in the land grant system
- Increasing funding for research on specialty and horticulture crops, specifically on plant diseases and the economic and climate value of flowers, trees, and shrubs
- Increasing funding for climate-smart agriculture research
- Funding workforce development programs at 1890 Land-Grant Institutions
A few speakers discussed international trade programs in the Farm Bill and how these programs can be used to create and enhance overseas markets and create parity with other countries on food access. Some of the proposals discussed by speakers include:
- Increasing funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program
- Increasing the number of staff who inspect imported food
The last topic that several speakers discussed was rural community development and local food systems. One speaker stated that rural community development programs provide the most impact by dollar spent and provide for non-farm employment options. Some of the proposals discussed by speakers include:
- Creating a pathway for local producers to contract with schools to provide fresh fruits and vegetables
- Increasing investment in local and regional food systems
- Expanding funding for organic transition assistance
- Investing in local food facilities to allow for food capture at the height of the season and distribution throughout the year
- Reducing the match requirement for Rural Community Development Initiative Grants (RCDI Grants)
For more information on the 2018 Farm Bill, check out FBLE’s Background Library that provides overviews of the different titles. The live stream from the hearing can be found here.
The views and opinions expressed on the FBLE Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FBLE. While we review posts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee the reliability and completeness of any legal analysis presented; posts on this Blog do not constitute legal advice. If you discover an error, please reach out to contact@farmbilllaw.org.
