Senate Farm Bill Continues Giant Giveaways to Big Agribusiness

Statement of CALPIRG Field Director Austin Price on Farm Bill passed today by the US Senate

CALPIRG

“Defenders of the Farm Bill, and the agribusiness industry, are claiming that the legislation recently passed by the Senate represents real reform of federal agricultural subsidies, but nothing could be further from the truth. “

“The 2013 Farm Bill would keep the gravy train flowing for big agribusinesses. Since 1995, 74 percent of agricultural subsidies went to just 4 percent of farms. This bill makes a few cosmetic changes, but does not change this dynamic. Over the next ten years, the agribusiness subsidies in this bill would cost taxpayers $155 billion.”

“While the bill makes some progress in limiting crop insurance payments to wealthy farmers and ending the notorious direct payments program, it plows more than half the savings into a whole new subsidy scheme called “Agricultural Risk Coverage” that would lock in the currently high corn and soy prices, once again directing billions of taxpayer dollars to giant agribusinesses.

“With Congress focused on how to fix the budget, our elected leaders shouldn’t squander the opportunity to cut off these outrageous giveaways to Big Ag once and for all. Congress needs to make serious changes to this legislation or reject it entirely. Our elected leaders should stand up for taxpayers, not Big Ag.”

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CALPIRG, the CALIFORNIA Public Interest Research Group, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest advocacy organization that takes on powerful interests on behalf of its members, working to win concrete results for our health and well-being.