[Faith & Hunger] Bread for the World Calls Farm Bill Half a Loaf

[Dunleamark at aol.com]

Bread for the World Calls 2008 Farm Bill "Half a Loaf" 
Washington, DC, May 14, 2008--Bread for the World president Rev. David  
Beckmann issued the following statement today concerning the 2008 Farm Bill that  
is expected to pass both houses of Congress this week and is also expected to 
be  vetoed by President Bush: 
"The 2008 Farm Bill represents half a loaf. Congress has increased funding  
for vital domestic nutrition programs but has failed to substantially reform 
the  U.S. agricultural system.  
"We rejoice that additional funding has been given to nutrition programs  
especially in light of the growing global hunger crisis that is hindering the  
efforts of struggling parents to feed their children.  We celebrate the  
increases to the Food Stamp Program and funding for food banks. We are happy  that 
the bill authorizes the Hunger Free Communities grant program, which will  
enable community-based organizations to work together to plan and implement  local 
strategies to end hunger. We are also encouraged that it contains a pilot  
program that allows for the local purchase of food aid from sources closer to  
the countries in need.  
"But we are missing the other half of the loaf--substantial reform of the  
commodity programs. Congress has failed to make our commodity programs fairer  
and more equitable. The bill does little to target subsidies to where they are  
most needed, but continues to concentrate payments to the largest and 
wealthiest  landowners.  
"This missing half has long-term and pernicious effects on global agriculture 
 and trade. Current policies have helped stymie agricultural development in 
poor  countries, leaving millions of people mired in poverty and helping to 
create the  current hunger crisis worldwide. Rather than respond to the new 
reality of  global agriculture, the 2008 Farm Bill locks the United States into 
another  five-year protectionist system that hampers the desperate efforts of 
small  farmers to feed their families.  
"We celebrate the important and urgent increases in nutrition funding.   But 
we deeply lament the lack of serious reform of agricultural subsidies in  this 
bill. Many will praise the 2008 Farm Bill as 'the best we can do.' We think  
the United States can and should do better.  Therefore, with a heavy heart,  
we have chosen a middle of the road stance as the bill moves toward final  
passage. 
"Our stand on the 2008 Farm Bill comes from a Biblical imperative that calls  
for a 'harvest of righteousness' (James 3:18). We will keep on working to 
reform  the farm bill until it truly serves the needs of poor farm and rural 
families  and all people around the world who struggle to feed themselves and 
their  children." 
 
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