“America, now more than ever, needs a secure and stable domestic food supply – one that is supplied by American farmers, working in American fields, employing American workers, and supporting American communities.”

– Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson

The House of Representatives today passed the final version of comprehensive legislation to guide U.S. agriculture policy over the next decade.  The bill was passed by a vote of 318-106.
 The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (H.R. 2149) improves upon the successful work done in 2002 with the last farm bill.  The bill will expand food security programs, protect our vital natural resources, promote healthier foods and local food networks, and reform commodity and biofuel programs to reflect the priorities of the nation.

Following floor debate on the bill, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson stressed the crucial need to pass this legislation and the impact it will have on rural America. “As with any initiative as large as the Farm Bill, there are things both good and bad within its contents. Overall, though, this is a good bill that builds on the success of the 2002 Farm Bill and will help nurture a stable farm economy for our nation’s rural communities,” said Simpson.

Simpson stressed the importance of growing our food here at home and not relying on other nations for delivery of our most critical commodities. “America, now more than ever, needs a secure and stable domestic food supply – one that is supplied by American farmers, working in American fields, employing American workers, and supporting American communities.  Strengthening the American farmer strengthens our great nation,” said Simpson. “The last thing this country ever needs is to become as reliant on foreign nations for our food as we have become for our oil. Just think for a minute of the ramifications of relying on South America for our sugar, Russia for our wheat, and Europe for our meat. The Farm Bill is one of our strongest tools for ensuring those scenarios never become reality.”

The Farm Bill includes provisions important to some of Idaho’s most important commodities. These provisions include:

· Reauthorization of the Sugar Program and modifications to divert excess sugar into ethanol production

· New initiatives to expand research and marketing of specialty crops including apples, onions, mint, cherries, a variety of berries, grapes, and Idaho’s most famous crop, potatoes. 

· Increased loan rates for Wheat and Barley

· Additional funding for the Environmental Quality Incentive Program

· Additional funding and reform of the Conservation Stewardship Program

· Establishes a Softwood Lumber Importer Declaration Program

· Increases technical assistance for Specialty Crops

· Improvements to farm credit programs

· Creation of a Specialty Crop Research Initiative

· Increases for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Additional provisions of nationwide significance include:

Ensuring Food Security

· Nutrition programs increased by $10.361 billion with appropriate benefit increases that are indexed to the cost of living

· Vital assistance to food banks increased by $1.25 billion

·  New funding boosts organic agriculture, fruit and vegetable programs, and local food networks
Promoting Homegrown Renewable Energy

· Provides $1 billion to fund programs that will help the renewable energy industry invest in new technologies that use a variety of sources beyond feed grains

· Corn ethanol tax credit reduced and redirected to incentives for cellulosic ethanol

· Creates a loan guarantee program and a program to encourage and develop production of dedicated energy crops

· Bioenergy research increased and renewable energy programs expanded

Reforming Farm Programs

· Farm program safety net extended and modernized, with an updated adjusted gross income means test for commodity programs

· Farm and conservation program transparency increased, with direct attribution of payments and the ending of practices that result in multiple payment eligibility

· Crop insurance reformed to prevent windfall reimbursements to crop insurance companies

· Budgeted standing disaster assistance program for crops stricken by catastrophic natural disasters such as drought and flood

Protecting the Environment

· Conservation program spending increased by $7.9 billion

· Doubles funding for the Farm Protection Program to protect agricultural lands from urban and suburban development pressure

· Increases funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program to enhance and protect our natural resources

· Continues funding for Grassland Reserve and Wetlands Reserve programs

· Creates an Open Fields Program to encourage public access to private land for hunting and fishing as well as a Chesapeake Bay program to help restore and protect the Bay watershed

Strengthening International Food Aid

· Provides $60 million to purchase food overseas to feed people in need on top of the existing Food for Peace international aid program, along with an evaluation of this change and its effect on U.S. response times

· Reauthorizes the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program for infant, child, and school nutrition programs in underdeveloped countries and provides an infusion of $84 million in additional funding.