The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide

Description

The farm bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation the American president signs. Negotiated every five to seven years, it has tremendous implications for food production, nutrition assistance, habitat conservation, international trade, and much more. Yet at nearly 1,000 pages, it is difficult to understand for policymakers, let alone citizens. In this primer, Dan Imhoff and Christina Badaracco translate all the “legalese" and political jargon into an accessible, graphics-rich 200 pages. Readers will learn the basic elements of the bill, its origins and history, and perhaps most importantly, the battles that will determine the direction of food policy in the coming years. The authors trace how the legislation has evolved, from its first incarnation during the Great Depression, to today, when America has become the world’s leading agricultural powerhouse. They explain the three main components of the bill—farm subsidies, food stamps or SNAP, and conservation programs—as well as how crucial public policies are changing. With a new farm bill just signed into law, we all need to understand the implications of food policy. What’s the impact of crop insurance? How does SNAP actually work? What would it take to create a healthier, more sustainable food system? These are questions that affect not only farmers, but everyone who eats. If you care about the answers, The Farm Bill is your guide. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiv Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 What Is the Farm Bill? (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 3-6 Why Does the Farm Bill Matter? (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 7-10 Who Benefits from the Farm Bill? (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 11-17 How Does the Farm Bill Work? (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 19-23 Front Matter ....Pages 25-25 Origins of the Farm Bill (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 26-32 The Changing Face of Agriculture (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 33-39 The Changing Face of Hunger (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 41-47 The Conservation Era (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 49-57 Front Matter ....Pages 59-59 Crop Subsidies (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 61-68 Nutrition, SNAP, and Healthy Eating (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 69-74 Agribusiness versus Family Farms (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 75-82 Job Creation (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 83-90 Trade (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 91-101 An Alternative System (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 103-108 Front Matter ....Pages 109-109 Opportunities for Change (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 111-116 Public Health (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 117-128 Food Security (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 129-136 Ethanol (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 137-146 Energy and Climate Change (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 147-157 Conservation (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 159-173 National Security (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 175-180 Front Matter ....Pages 181-181 Ecosystem-Based Agriculture (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 183-188 Local Food (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 189-198 A Citizen’s Farm Bill (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 199-200 Twenty-Five Solutions (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 201-202 A Vision of Sustainable Food (Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracoo)....Pages 203-205 Back Matter ....Pages 207-258