Also, in response to a directive included in the 2018 farm bill, the Department of Agriculture recalculated what it takes to afford a healthy diet, known as the Thrifty Food Plan, and determined that it required an additional $12-$16 per month per recipient, or 40 cents per meal.īecause it’s such a large target, SNAP is where much of the budget battle will play out. Why have SNAP costs grown? During the pandemic, SNAP benefits were increased on an emergency basis, but that temporary arrangement expired in March 2023. Along with a few smaller programs, SNAP will likely consume 80% of the money in the new farm bill, up from 76% in 2018. Today, over 42 million Americans depend on SNAP, including nearly 1 in every 4 children. Back in the 1970s, Congress began including nutrition assistance in the farm bill to secure votes from an increasingly urban nation. Many people are surprised to learn that nutrition assistance – mainly through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps – is where most farm bill money is spent. In their view, too much money goes to very large farms that produce commodity crops like wheat, corn, soybeans and rice, while small and medium-size producers receive far less support. On the other side, reformers argue for capping payments to farmers, which The Washington Post recently described as an “expensive agricultural safety net,” and restricting payment eligibility. If they have their way, the price tag for the next farm bill would increase significantly from current projections. Now legislators are jockeying over raising the debt ceiling, which limits how much the federal government can borrow to pay its bills.Īgriculture Committee leaders and farm groups argue that more money is necessary to strengthen the food and farm sector. These measures follow unprecedented spending for farm support during the Trump administration. In the past two years, Congress has enacted major bills to provide economic relief from the COVID-19 pandemic, counter inflation, invest in infrastructure and boost domestic manufacturing. The price tagįarm bills always are controversial because of their high cost, but this year the timing is especially tricky. Here are four key issues shaping the next farm bill, and through it, the future of the U.S. In my view, with the challenges in this round so complex and with critical 2024 elections looming, it could take Congress until 2025 to craft and enact a bill. Department of Agriculture, I’ve seen this intricate process from all sides. Rural counties, hunters and anglers, bankers and dozens of other organizations have their own wish lists.Īs a former Senate aide and senior official at the U.S. Hunger and nutrition groups target the bill’s sections on food aid. Industry-specific groups, such as cattlemen, fruit and vegetable growers and organic producers, all have their own interests.Įnvironmental and conservation groups seek to influence policies that affect land use and sustainable farming practices. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition advocates for small farmers and ranchers. Umbrella organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union typically focus on farm subsidies and crop insurance. These measures bring out a dizzying range of interest groups with diverse agendas. Modern farm bills address many things besides food, from rural broadband access to biofuels and even help for small towns to buy police cars. These measures are large, complex and expensive: The next farm bill is projected to cost taxpayers US$1.5 trillion over 10 years. farmers grow, how they raise it and how it gets to consumers. Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Universal Images Group/Getty Imagesįor the 20th time since 1933, Congress is writing a multiyear farm bill that will shape what kind of food U.S. Small-scale farmers, organic producers and local markets receive a tiny fraction of farm bill funding.
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