Transcript Presentation 1

SAFSF Funders Webinar
The Farm Bill -Conservation Title
June 9, 2011
Moderator: Aimee Witteman, The McKnight Foundation
Speakers:
• Craig Cox, Environmental Working Group (EWG)
• Adam Warthesen, Land Stewardship Project (LSP)
What is the conservation title…
Conservation requirements in
return for farm subsidies…
Highly erodible cropland
conservation – must have
soil conservation practices
on vulnerable cropland.
Wetland conservation –
must not drain wetlands.
Programs that deliver money
and technical help on
conservation…
Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP).
Wetlands Reserve Program
(WRP).
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP).
Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP).
2011 – 89% of conservation
funds to these 4 programs.
2012 Farm Bill – What’s at stake?
Era of crop surpluses is
over – Era of all out
production begins.
Biofuel policy adding
fuel to the fire – tying
grain prices to crude
oil prices.
Farm and insurance
subsidies enabling and
favoring industrial-scale
production of raw
material for the food
system.
Climate change…
Weather becoming more
unfriendly.
Increased frequency of
severe and damaging
storms.
Increased frequency of
severe and damaging
droughts.
Combination of both.
All-out production plus climate change
in the corn belt…
Simple practices – big improvement…
Critical victories at stake…
Conservation Compliance…
Conservation in return for subsidies
More and better funding
Big Increase – Better Balance
Farm bill fight – Follow the money…
If we did the farm bill today
our budget for the next ten
years would be $212.9
billion.
2012 will be the first farm
bill since 1996 that must
spend less than the previous
bill.
Where cuts fall will reflect
profound decisions about
priorities in our food and
agriculture system.
Follow the money…
Funding has fallen far
below promises, but still
more than we had before.
2011 continuing
resolution and 2012
appropriations should
sound a warning bell.
Yet…House
appropriations committee
cuts direct payments for
the first time.
2012 Farm Bill -- Big opportunities…
Defend funding – shift funding from commodity crop
and insurance subsidies to key food and environmental
programs.
Unwind the worst cases of perverse incentives and
unlevel playing field created by crop and insurance
subsidies.
Renewed emphasis on conservation compliance—
carrots with strings—with primary emphasis on
reconnecting to crop and revenue insurance programs.
Surgical reform to conservation title to improve
performance and get better results.
Funder Opportunities—Big Needs
Build capacity to do
aggressive, creative and wellinformed advocacy shaping
opinion in Washington DC.
Budget debates that will
shape the 2012 farm bill are
already underway.
Will need to fight harder
and smarter in this climate
to save or extend the critical
gains made in earlier farm
bills.
Funder Opportunities—Big Needs
Capacity on the ground to
turn promise into reality –
use the programs and
money provided by the
farm in creative ways to
support sustainable
agriculture and protect
the environment.
Implementation,
implementation,
implementation.
Healthy Land, Food and People
The conservation title is a key
piece of larger food system
reform.
We need to capture the energy
around healthy food and
people and make the
connection to healthy land.
Sustain the momentum from
previous farm bill victories –
extend those victories where
possible.
Thank you…
[email protected]
www.ewg.org/agmag