Why Rural and Farm Policy Reform Matters

It is essential to reform our farm policy for the family farmer in America and in developing countries.


Cross Posted from www.JohnEdwards.com Blog, Karita Hummer in Arguments & Analyses Feed of
8/18/2007 at 3:55 PM EST
http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/8/18/63543/6284

"I support John Edwards because he's the first national candidate in years who really takes rural America seriously and he's got a solid, bold plan to help turn things around." -- Sen. John Land, Democratic Leader of the South Carolina State Senate

http://johnedwards.com/issues/rural/

When John Edwards speaks of One America, he means just that, for everyone, lifting every boat and forgetting no-one.

His moral vision, clarity, insight and empathy are nowhere better evident than in his vision for Rural America and what it needs. It is a vision that makes me glow with pride and happiness for what could be in America, if we get him elected. His inspiring vision goes beyond what most Democrats have even dreamed, and I am so excited and proud to be part of his campaign.

John Edwards declaration that small rural towns and small farm communities are a proper priority for concern is long overdue and a simple matter of justice. And he has laid out detailed policy for actualizing his vision of justice for all Americans, in this instance, rural Americans.

This is John Edwards vision for the small farmer:

from John Edwards' site:

http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/rural/

"Creating Fairness for Family Farmers: Edwards recognizes that the rules are stacked against family farmers. He supports the strict enforcement of laws against anticompetitive mergers, unfair pricing, and country-of-origin laws. He will enact a strong national ban on packer ownership to stop the spread of large corporate hog interests and create a national moratorium on the construction and expansion of hog farm lagoons. To help family farmers he will also limit farm subsidies to $250,000 per person, close loopholes in payment limits, and expand conservation programs."

http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/rural/

In line with John Edwards' thinking on Farm Policy are a number of other advocacy groups speaking up for fair farm family policy for the US and for foreign countries. For this country and abroad, the proper emphasis of these advocacy groups is on small farmers and healthy food products for our continent and other continents.

Here big agribusiness has made food less safe and healthy for Americans and prevented proper food for overseas aid.

The US branch of CARE is taking just such a twofold position, advocating for support of local production in continents like that of Africa and reduced subsidies to agribusiness that ends up feeding obesity in America.

For example, the American branch of Care recently spelled out the problems with current policy in an article entitled:

"US Food Aid is `Wrecking' Africa, Claims Charity" by Leonard Doyle. In that article, Doyle states:

"The US arm of the charity says America is causing rather than reducing hunger with a decree that US food aid must be sold rather than directly distributed to those facing starvation. In America, the subsidies for corn in particular, help underpin the junk food industry, which uses corn extracts as a sweetener, creating a home-grown a health crisis."

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007 08/17/3224

A religious advocacy group takes a similar tack:

"The current system should be changed in ways that would strengthen communities in rural America, ensure all Americans an adequate, nutritious diet, provide better and more targeted support for U.S. farm families of modest means, and conserve the land for present and future generations. In addition, such changes are necessary to unlock the ability of smallholder farmers in developing countries, who comprise the majority of the world's hungry people, to improve their livelihoods and escape poverty."

From: RELIGIOUS WORKING GROUP ON THE FARM BILL, Principles for the 2007 Farm Bill, National Catholic Rural Life Conference (which is centered in
Des Moines, Iowa, email address: ncrlc@mchsi.com, website: www.ncrlc.com)

Such rural and farm policy advocacy very much mirrors the integrated vision of John Edwards for economic justice in food production in America and internationally.

It is clear to me that John Edwards is leading from a vision of justice for all, and this is nowhere more apparent than in his vision for America's rural and farm community.

We must shake America from its deep lethargy and make them aware of the grave stakes in this campaign for justice toward One America.

Thank you, Senator Edwards for your vision and your leadership for a sorely neglected sector of America and the world, that of the rural and farm sector both here and abroad.

Karita Hummer
San Jose, CA
Willow Glen One Corps Chapter, Co-Chair