Friday, June 22, 2012
2012 FARM BILL - GETS THROUGH SENATE
The
Senate has passed a version of the Farm Bill that includes $1 trillion
in spending over the next decade both for aid to U.S. farmers and for
food stamps to low-income families. The Senate bill cuts about $4.5
billion from the food stamp program, and the House is expected to seek
even deeper cuts. The bill ends direct subsidies to U.S. farmers but
expands the crop insurance program, which would cost $9 billion
annually. Environmentalists have hailed a requirement that farmers who
receive insurance subsidies must have basic environmental protections in
place. But the bill has also come under criticism for failing to tackle
the control of large agribusiness. In a statement, the group Food &
Water Watch criticized the measure, saying: "The Senate passed a farm
bill that left the largest agribusiness and food processing companies
firmly in control of America’s food system."
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