$284 Billion Farm Bill Approved by the House

Today, the House approved the Farm Bill – a $284 billion, 5-year legislation that critics claim to be one of the root causes for global food dearth, poverty, and the delay in the development of renewable energy. Earlier today, the House also voted down the amendment authored by Rep Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Rep Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) that proposed a set of new restrictions to scale back subsidies to crops farmers. This is a major impediment on the effort to overhaul the amiss and antiquated agriculture policy.

The Farm Bill is one of the most influential piece of legislations in terms its impact on food supply in less developed countries; on agriculture business in Central and South America, Africa and parts of the South East Asia; and on the energy policies in US and Canada.

Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals”, suggested that US Farm Bill has a direct impact on world poverty and the health of the nation. Iain Murray of the Competitive Enterprise Institute also pointed out that the existing Farm Bill is partially to be blamed on the current food shortage in Africa and the delay in developing fuel independent policy in Washington, D.C..

For example, due to the over-subsidized corn production, there is a huge shortage of tortilla in Mexico, adversely affecting the Mexican farmers. The result of corn over-supply in US is what you see in today’s grocery store: pops and junk foods cost way less than fruits and vegetables. Low income families as a result can not afford healthy diets and make junk or fast food (high in corn sugar) as the quid pro quo. The vicious cycle goes on.

The apathy in US public opinion towards this issue is somewhat surprising and disappointing. The bill is one of the a few legislations ironically engenders bipartisan support. Unfortunately, Washington politics have prevented a national debate on this issue and created sets of perplexing problems that were never to be imagined by those first introduced the bill during the Great Depression.