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Plea for 'regenerative ag' in farm bill
Story Date: 3/21/2018
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Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 3/20/18
Past farm bills have "fallen short of the mark" in addressing environmental and health concerns, said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, at a congressional briefing on the "regenerative ag revolution" on Monday. "We spend too much for the wrong people to grow food in the wrong way," Blumenauer said, referring to how the farm bill subsidizes conventional commodity growers and meat producers. "It works very well for some aspects of agriculture -- the huge commodity producers and industrial meat production. But sadly that is not the majority of farmers and ranchers."
Blumenauer flagged his Food and Farm Act, considered his alternative version of the farm bill, as a template for how to support organic and sustainable farmers that use techniques to regenerate topsoil and increase biodiversity. "We have an opportunity to reduce what we spend and redirect it to people who can take better advantage of it," he said.
The bill, introduced last year, has no Republican co-sponsors. While it has no chance of becoming law, it has drawn support from an eclectic group, including food activist Michael Pollan, Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander, Friends of the Earth and House Democrats Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Tim Ryan of Ohio and Chellie Pingree of Maine.
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