USCCB: action alert on farm bill

December 05, 2013

In a recent action alert, staff of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops asked Catholics to lobby for “a Farm Bill that protects hungry people at home and abroad and promotes the common good of farmers and ranchers and rural communities.”

The alert asked constituents to discuss nine points:

Tell your Senator and Representative on the Farm Bill Conference Committee:

Support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and oppose cuts and structural changes that harm vulnerable and hungry children, seniors, people with disabilities and unemployed and underemployed people.

Support Food for Peace development programs by maintaining adequate and reliable funding for programs that help poor farmers develop sustainable ways to provide food for their families.

Adopt sensible reforms to food aid that improve program efficiency and allow programs to reach more people with the same level of funding.

Support rural communities by authorizing grants and loans that help rural economies and communities grow and help beginning, socially disadvantaged, and small and mid-size farms and ranches be successful.

Protect conservation programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) from further cuts.

Maintain conservation compliance to receive subsidies for crop insurance premiums.

Target subsidies to small and medium sized farmers and ranchers in need rather than large industrial agriculture.

End direct payments to farmers who are not farming or who have not suffered losses.

Reduce crop insurance premium subsidies for farmers who make more than $750,000 a year.

 

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Further information:

• Contact Your Senator or Representative Who Serves on the Farm Bill Conference Committee! (USCCB)