Congressional Farm Bill Inaction Puts Farmers and Rural Communities in Jeopardy
How much longer can they weather the costs of a delayed Farm Bill?
WASHINGTON, DC, November 26, 2024 – After two long years of delays, the Farm Bill process finally saw some movement with the release of Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow’s (D-MI) Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act on Wednesday, November 20. This follows a six-month delay after the House version of the Farm Bill – the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 – was approved by the House Agriculture Committee in May.
The National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) acknowledges the effort behind these developments, but ultimately this progress comes far too late to address the pressing challenges facing family farmers and rural communities. With only a few days remaining in the 2024 legislative session, the Senate Farm Bill arrived too late for meaningful action. Instead, Congress will resort to yet another extension, pushing critical Farm Bill discussions to 2025 and prolonging the uncertainty that farmers can no longer afford.
Congress cannot allow the Farm Bill to languish any longer – the day that the 2025 session begins, our legislators must take immediate action to draft and pass a Farm Bill that prioritizes the success of family-scale farmers.
Small and mid-sized farms, which grow over 40% of the nation’s food, are the backbone of our food system. The cost of a delayed Farm Bill is clear: missed opportunities to tackle rising grocery bills, mounting health and environmental crises, and dwindling rural economies – all exacerbated by the unchecked dominance of corporate agribusinesses that thrive at the expense of farmers, communities, and consumers. The 2022 Census of Agriculture revealed alarming numbers – more than 140,000 farms have closed or consolidated since 2017. How many thousands more farmers have been forced out of business since, while waiting and hoping for transformative federal agriculture policies that support them?
For the past two years, our members and staff have tirelessly engaged with both committees, advocating for the legislative reforms that independent farmers and ranchers desperately need to thrive in an increasingly challenging environment. NFFC’s Farm Bill Platform provides concrete solutions aimed at preserving the future of America’s independent farmers and ranchers. We are glad to see some aspects of our proposals reflected in the House and Senate bills, but there is still a long way to go.
Congress and the incoming administration must urgently confront the root causes of the challenges plaguing our agricultural system. US farmers, ranchers, and the communities that depend on them cannot afford another Farm Bill continuing “business as usual.” Farmers and ranchers – not corporate agribusiness interests – must be at the forefront of future negotiations.
NFFC is committed to working collaboratively with our elected officials to build an agricultural system that honors farmers’ hard work, supports rural prosperity, and secures our nation’s food future. We stand ready to champion policies that uplift and support the people who feed us all.
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Since 1986, the National Family Farm Coalition has been mobilizing family farmers and ranchers to achieve fair prices, vibrant communities, and healthy foods free of corporate domination. Today, NFFC’s 30 member groups span 44 states and represent family farmers, ranchers, and fishermen across the United States.