News stories and commentaries describe a federal government that is
dysfunctional, hampered by a “permanent election cycle” and shackled by
“partisan gridlock.” Sadly, that cynical view has spilled over into the discussion
of this year’s Farm Bill, with many observers saying a Farm Bill is unlikely to
be completed this year.
That pessimistic outlook, however, is not necessarily warranted, because when
it comes to addressing the task at hand, agriculture always has operated
differently from other sectors. From the
USDA, to K Street, to the halls of Congress, agriculture historically has been
less partisan, more productive; less about politics
and more about policy. A case in point: under the deficit reduction
deal reached by Congress last year, all Congressional committees were to submit
to the deficit Super Committee an outline of suggested deficit-reduction
measures. Only the Senate and House
Agriculture Committees submitted a bipartisan, bicameral plan.
There is no reason why a Farm Bill can’t be crafted this year as well. The work done by the Agriculture Committees to
date provides a good starting point. Both
Committees are in the midst of a series of hearings on the Farm Bill, various
stakeholders have weighed in, and the Administration has submitted an outline
budget for Farm Bill programs.
Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office has issued its March report,
adjusting the estimate of the budget baseline for the
Farm Bill and other programs. This
baseline is the projected cost of Farm Bill programs over
the next five or ten years, assuming current programs are extended unchanged.
Historically, and this year in particular, the March Baseline becomes the benchmark
for the deficit savings that Congress has to work with in crafting this new Farm
Bill.
The farm bill provides the proper forum to develop
the most effective, efficient and integrated conservation efforts given the
available federal dollars. Since the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress has used the
appropriations process to force changes in mandatory program spending, which
has included cuts for conservation programs.
Year after year, ad hoc spending adjustments are not the way to make
policy, however. A forward looking, multi-year
Farm Bill is.
Inside the beltway, the talking
points on the consequences of not passing a Farm Bill are familiar: nearly 46
million people would lose their nutrition assistance, 31 million school
children would lose their school lunches, and there would be chaos as existing
commodity programs would revert to permanent law under the original Agriculture
Adjustment Act of 1938. But, it is well
worth considering the environmental and conservation impacts as well. After all, the
conservation title is perhaps the most interconnected title in the Farm Bill --
a cornerstone of agricultural policy in many ways. Its primary objective is protecting soil,
water and air, which are the productive assets of American agriculture. The conservation title is a fundamental
investment in reaching the goals of other Farm Bill titles, such as financial stability,
nutrition, trade and energy feedstock production.
Even with a short-term extension of the Farm Bill, producers would face too
much uncertainty to effectively plan for the future. The key to both economic and environmental
sustainability for America’s food and fiber producers is for them to know they
will be able to access a full suite of conservation, safety net, marketing and
credit programs that work in concert.
That only comes from a full reauthorization of the Farm Bill.
Perhaps agriculture policymaking has always been different in Washington
because of the people involved. Farmers
and ranchers have always been up to the challenge of getting up early and
getting things done, even on a deadline.
Whether it is getting the hay in before the rain, moving the cattle
before the snow, or planting and harvesting around the weather, in our
business, there isn’t the luxury of waiting until next year. The same goes for the Farm Bill.
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Jon Scholl became the President of American Farmland Trust in July 2008, after
serving as Counselor to the Administrator for Agricultural Policy at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) since 2004. At the U.S. EPA, Scholl
led the development of the first National Agricultural Strategy, the first
agricultural advisory committee and the first agency-wide cross media
agriculture team. He also helped direct agency regulations on animal feeding
operations, renewable fuel standards, clean air rules, and emission reporting
requirements. In 2007, Scholl provided counsel to the USDA Farm Bill team on
conservation provisions.