Farm bill 5 22-10

Brad Redlin, Director IWLA Agricultural Programs Upper Mississippi River Initiative Missouri River Initiative Agricultural Conservation Introduction to the Farm Bill

IWLA Agricultural Programs 1. Background 2. Federal Farm Bill 3. Agricultural Conservation

52 percent of total U.S. land is in agricultural use.
Urban land use is 2.6 percent.
Parks and wildlife areas are 13.1 percent.

Farm policy directly impacts environment.

5,200 square mile average Hypoxic zone 1985-2010.
7,722 square miles in 2010.

US EPA Office of Water

Title I Commodity Programs
Title II Conservation
Title III Trade
Title IV Nutrition Programs
Title V Credit
Title VI Rural Development
Title VII Research
Title VIII Forestry
Title IX Energy
Title X Horticulture and Organic Agriculture
Title XI Livestock
Title XII Crop Insurance and Disaster Assistance
Title XIII Commodity Futures
Title XIV Miscellaneous
Title XV Tax Provisions
2008

2008 Farm Bill spends $35 billion Title I, $25 billion Title II.
2008 Farm Bill increased conservation $4 billion

Highest payments per acre correspond to highest runoff risk.
2010 Gulf Hypoxic zone forecast 7,776 sq. miles (5 th largest)
May-June 2008 Mississippi basin nitrogen 7,761 metric tons/day
Nitrogen

“ Simply put, commodity programs wed farming regions to an ongoing pattern of economic consolidation. It should not be surprising, therefore, that the very places that depend most on federal farm payments also happen to be places where economic consolidation is happening apace…. Traditional programs simply do not provide the economic lift that farming regions need going forward.” -Federal Reserve Bank, Center for the Study of Rural America, 2005

Five crops dominate commodity programs; regional participation.

Conservation Title contains a suite of programs.
Programs meet different goals and utilize different methods.

Conservation Compliance
Highly Erodible Land Conservation / Sodbuster, Wetland Conservation (Swampbuster)
Reduce soil erosion on the Nation’s cropland;
Protect the Nation’s long-term capability to produce
food and fiber;
Reduce sedimentation and improve water quality; and,
Preserve and protect the Nation’s wetlands.
Penalties are reduction or loss of farm program payments.
Ducks Unlimited photo NRCS photo NRCS photo

Farm participation in Farm Bill programs.

Conservation cut $5 billion from ‘02 Farm Bill authorization.
White House, Senate, House all proposed FY11 conservation cuts
2002

80% of compliance violations were waived on appeal.

Sodbuster no deterrent
Crop insurance is incentive to convert
Grassland conversion counties netted double insurance benefits of other counties

“ Sodsaver”
Sodsaver provision: Any land without a prior cropping history will be ineligible for crop insurance and disaster payments.
Applies only in Prairie Pothole Region of IA, MN, MT, ND and SD -- and only by enactment of the Governor.
Ducks Unlimited photo Ducks Unlimited photo

Ethanol Dependency -- 2-2-09 A new South Dakota State University study highlights the ethanol industry and its importance for economic viability. In South Dakota, 60% of the corn produced went into ethanol production. In Iowa, that figure is 50% . Forty percent of Nebraska's corn goes to ethanol production; in Minnesota and Illinois, that figure is 30% . SDSU economists say this study implies a growing level of dependency on the ethanol industry for the health of the rural economy.

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140) signed Dec. 19, 2007
36 billion gal. total in 2022; max 15 billion from corn
21 billion in 2022 from “advanced biofuel” GHG < 50%

2008 Food, Conservation, and Act retained and revised
Conservation programs.

All Good Faith determinations must be reviewed at state level.
Graduated Penalties established for HELC violations.

Participation pays off.

Without USDA Conservation:
450 million tons of topsoil lost every year.
170,000 miles of unprotected streams.
48 million more tons of carbon dioxide.
40 million fewer acres of wildlife habitat.
2.2 million fewer ducks.
13.5 million fewer pheasants.

USDA NASS August 2008

“ Natural Amenities” Economic Research Service/USDA:
Protecting and enhancing natural
amenities—pleasant landscapes, outdoor
recreation, community life—draws
population and economic vitality.
Natural amenities are highly correlated
with population and employment growth—
they even shape agriculture. The number
of farms has increased in counties with
high levels of natural amenities.
USDA photo USDA photo USDA photo

www.iwla.org Stewardship, Prosperity, and Fairness The Izaak Walton League of America’s values-based vision of agriculture for all of America Brad Redlin Director, Agricultural Programs 651.649.1446 ex 13 [email_address]

CSP contracts 2010 #1

Farm bill 5 22-10

by Izaak Walton League of America

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Farm bill 5 22-10 Presentation Transcript