FARM BILL AGREEMENT WILL HURT THE ENVIRONMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     
Contact: Scott Faber 202 387-3500<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

Tim Searchinger  202 387-3500

(26 April, 2002 — Washington, D.C.)  Environmental Defense today said that a new farm bill agreement reached by House and Senate negotiators will harm the environment and most farmers.

“The conferees have eliminated any environmental balance in this farm bill by boosting subsidies for the biggest farms, scrapping key safeguards to protect the environment and by cutting funds for conservation,” said Environmental Defense senior attorney Tim Searchinger.  “On balance, for each acre of habitat preserved, this bill will destroy at least two and for each ton of pollution spared, the bill will add at least two tons.” 

“Both the Senate and House voted overwhelmingly to limit subsidies to the country’s largest farms and to boost conservation, but House and Senate negotiators have ignored their colleagues,” said Environmental Defense water resources specialist Scott Faber.  “The country’s biggest grain and cotton farms get a visit from Santa, while farmers offering to help the environment get a lump of coal.”

The Senate-passed farm bill included key provisions that provided the legislation with some environmental balance.  One key provision limited subsidies to existing cropland, as a way to discourage farmers from plowing up prairies and forests to produce larger crop surpluses that then lead to lower prices.  The Senate also capped subsidies for the largest farms and boosted new funds for conservation programs significantly.  But the conference agreement announced today, eliminated key limitations on crop subsidies and cut back conservation spending to levels near the unbalanced House bill.  

“This bill will drive farmers in to overproduction on sensitive lands — a direction they do not want to go.  Thousands of farmers who are willing to improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat, or serve as the frontline against sprawl will continue to be turned away,” said Faber.  

“By bucking the will of their colleagues in both houses, the conferees have dedicated nearly all their funds to the largest farmers in a few states, while all but ignoring the vast majority of farmers in the vast majority of states,” said Searchinger.  “These farmers do not benefit from traditional subsidy programs, but they appreciate help to be the best stewards of the land they can be.”