Agriculture

Agriculture

Small farms are the backbone of our nation, and our federal policies should be aimed at creating an environment in which small farms can be profitable. At present, our nation's farm and trade policies are structured to benefit large agri-business. The consequences of subsidizing the over-production of crops favored by conglomerate growers while ignoring the challenges faced by small farmers have been devastating both to the environment and to family-owned farms. Small farms are a precious part of our national heritage and we need to implement policies that support them.

Agriculture is an issue that lies at the heart of CD-11. It plays a pivotal role, not just in our economic affairs, but our environment and even our national security. And with every year that passes, it becomes increasingly harder for our farmers and ranchers to continue in their livelihoods. They are being squeezed by government policies which are making it more difficult and more expensive to produce crops while simultaneously adopting trade agreements which lower profits. For many commodity producers, the only recourse is selling productive agricultural property for housing development. If we allow our agricultural communities to fail, our ability to feed our nation diminishes, and we become increasingly reliant on foreign sources for the very food and fiber that sustains us.

Historically, America's greatness has been built on the foundation of its strength in agriculture. That is why it is incumbent on us to find ways to support and reinvigorate agriculture in our community. And in doing this, we will strengthen our local economies, improve our environment, and provide sustenance for a more secure nation.

Let's start by examining trade issues. Rep. Richard Pombo voted last year to approve CAFTA, the Central American Fair Trade Agreement. The net effect of this and other unfair trade agreements has been to force our farmers and ranchers to compete with products imported from other countries which are not required to meet the same health, labor, and environmental standards as we impose on our home-grown products. Foreign products can be grown through the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and hormones that are forbidden by the United States, using labor that is paid slave wages, and with no regard to environmental degradation. Our commodity producers simply cannot compete on such uneven ground. As a Congressman, I would fight to change our trade policy so that the playing field is leveled and our growers are able compete in a fair market in their own country. I would also work to increase support for the Market Access Program (MAP), which promotes the export of American-produced commodities, so that our farmers and ranchers have better access to foreign markets.

Presently, we are asking our commodity producers to compete in a global market which does not impose environmental regulations, and yet we are asking them to follow increasingly stringent regulations to protect our clean water, clean air, and endangered species. Most of the farmers and ranchers with whom I have spoken want to comply with these laws. They are proud of their role as stewards of their land. But compliance with these regulations is expensive and it is time-consuming. And at the same time our government is requiring commodity producers to spend more time and money following demanding regulatory practices, it is setting trade policy that diminishes their earnings, putting them in an impossible situation.

But there is an answer, and it is right in front of us. First we need to simplify and streamline the bureaucratic processes for complying with environmental regulations. Then we need to provide real support for our commodity producers in dealing with the demands of environmental oversight programs. The federal government administers just such a support program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which assists farmers and ranchers by providing financial, educational and technical help to install or implement structural, vegetative and management practices. This is EQIP's mission statement: "To address priority natural resource concerns, help producers meet environmental regulation, while promoting agricultural production." EQIP is a terrific program, and commodity producers are lining up to join it. But it is severely underfunded because of the misguided budget priorities of officials like Richard Pombo. EQIP's projected budget for 2007, nationwide, is $1.3 billion; yet the 2007 budget proposes spending $4 billion for Mars exploration. At this funding level, EQIP is only able to meet one in six requests for assistance. In Congress, I would make it a priority to fight for more funding for the EQIP program. It's good for agriculture; it's good for the environment; it's good for our community.

We also need to revamp the entire farm subsidy program so that it is more fairly administered. At present, among the 50 states, California is the leader in farm product sales. Yet a full 90 percent of California farmers and ranchers do not receive federal subsidies. The government's subsidy program instead favors the producers of four commodities - corn, wheat, rice and cotton - which together account for 78 percent of all farm subsidies. But if the federal government's farm subsidy program were calculated on a formula which supports ALL farmers based on the overall value of their production rather than favoring those four crops, California producers would have received $14 billion instead of $4.6 billion over the last decade. The farmers and ranchers of District 11 deserve a Congressman who will represent their interests in Washington, DC.

Rep. Richard Pombo, instead of working to solve these very real problems that face commodity producers, has chosen to paint the situation as a battle between agriculture and the environment. I don't buy that for a minute. I believe that we can have sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming and ranching practices, and I also believe that most members of the agricultural community want to follow good stewardship practices. But they need our help. What we need is a shared commitment to achieve these common goals so that we can protect our precious land, water, air, and biological diversity while enjoying the benefits provided by a healthy and vibrant agricultural community. We have the power, if we work together, to build a better future for ALL Americans, and that is what I will fight for in Congress.

http://jerrymcnerney.org/issues/agriculture.asp