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U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown...
Farm
Policy
that’s Better for Farmers, Fairer to Taxpayers
With one in
seven Ohio jobs connected to agriculture, it’s obvious just how vital
farming
is to our state. That’s one of the reasons I’m honored to represent our
state’s
farmers, ranchers, and rural communities as Ohio’s first senator on the
Agriculture Committee in more than four decades. Over the last year, as
part of
my “Grown in Ohio” listening tour, I’ve had the opportunity to hear
directly
from farmers, business leaders, and community officials about how we
can reform
our agriculture policy so that it’s more responsive to the needs of
farmers and
rural communities and fairer to taxpayers.
That’s why
I’m fighting to pass the 2012 farm bill, which reflects
locally-identified
priorities of Ohio’s rural communities, bolsters Ohio’s number one
industry to
create jobs, and strengthens our economy while reducing the deficit.
Reauthorized
only once every five years, the farm bill offers an opportunity to
adjust our
farm, food, conservation and rural policies. In addition to continuing
natural
resource conservation and investments in nutrition, this farm bill
includes the
most significant reforms to farm policy in decades. It eliminates more
than 100
duplicative programs and authorizations, and takes steps to crack down
on fraud
and abuse to make sure only those who are eligible for benefits receive
them.
And because this deficit-reducing bill saves some $23 billion in
taxpayer
dollars, this is a bill for all Ohioans.
The
centerpiece of the bill’s reform and deficit reduction efforts is an
overhaul
of the farm safety net, modeled on a bill I introduced last year with
Republican Senator Thune - called the Aggregate Risk and Revenue
Management
Program (ARRM). Our proposal and the 2012 farm bill eliminate the
existing
network of direct farm support programs in favor of a less expensive,
market-oriented safety net that will kick in only when times are tough.
With
this bill, the era of direct payments – and paying farmers for crops
regardless
of need or market conditions – is over. The farm bill makes simple
commonsense
reforms. The bill also limits the amount of farm program payments any
individual can receive.
While
directing $23 billion to deficit reduction, the 2012 farm bill also
supports
the biobased-products industry and continued investment that can create
jobs in
Ohio. Companies producing biobased products, which are composed wholly
or
significantly of biological ingredients, are creating jobs in Ohio’s
small
towns and rural communities, and generating a link between agriculture
and
manufacturing. Last September at OSU, I held a roundtable with Ohio’s
biobased
leaders to discuss the need for an Ohio-led, U.S. biobased industry.
Ideas from
this roundtable helped establish the “Grow it here, Make it Here”
initiative,
which has been included in the farm bill and will help create new
market
opportunities for Ohio farmers and some 130 biobased manufacturers in
our
state.
Similarly,
many Ohio farmers explained to me that they see opportunities for
growth right
in state, selling to Ohioans who want to buy Ohio-grown and Ohio-made
goods.
These comments contributed to my Local Farms, Foods and Jobs Act, which
would
forge closer links between Ohio producers and consumers by addressing
production, aggregation, marketing, and distribution needs. The bill
would also
improve consumer access to healthy, fresh food with support for
technology and
direct sales and many components of my bill are included in the farm
bill.
Since our
nation’s food and agriculture policy affects all Americans every day,
it is
crucial to ensure that the 2012 farm bill creates jobs, and provides
economic
relief to those in need. The 2012 farm bill is a bipartisan reform bill
that
saves taxpayers billions of dollars while maintaining investments in
the
economy, the environment, and public health.
There is no
excuse to delay its passage. We must act swiftly to pass the 2012 farm
bill.
Sincerely,
Sherrod
Brown
U.S.
Senator
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