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2007 Farm Bill: Building Pressure for Change

As the Senate prepares to take up the 2007 U.S. farm bill, Bread for the World members are educating their senators on the weaknesses of the current farm bill and advocating for much-needed reforms. Bread for the World is seeking improvements that will reduce hunger and poverty, strengthen our nation's rural communities and support struggling farmers both here and in the developing world.

Working on the farm bill this year has proven challenging: it is a complex piece of legislation impacted by entrenched, though not always correct, assumptions about the rural United States. The stakes are high for all Americans in rural areas – whether or not they are among the 6 percent who live or work on a farm -- because the farm bill is the principal source of policy and funding for U.S. rural communities, where hunger and poverty are the highest.

The House of Representatives passed its version of the farm bill in late July. Although this bill makes some improvements in nutrition and conservation programs, it has a fatal flaw: it does not reform commodity payment policies, which allot most of the farm bill's commodity budget to a small percentage of farmers – mainly large producers who grow one of five "program" crops. This leaves little for other farmers, such as those with less acreage or those who grow fruits and vegetables. The current farm bill also provides few resources for the vast majority of U.S. rural residents, who do not farm.

Members of Congress, journalists and ordinary citizens alike often assume that "farmers" are a monolithic group. According to this view, farmers all have the same job: growing food. So they must have similar economic and political interests too. Bread for the World and other organizations have been working to dispel this myth, since decisions on farm bill policy are often shaped by it.

Bread for the World members highlighting the issue of farm bill fairness -- both to our members of Congress and to others in our churches, campuses and communities – are on solid ground. Efforts to convey the more complex reality of rural America often change hearts and minds. In late July, for example, a research poll of more than 1,300 likely voters in 42 farm districts showed strong support for farm bill reform, particularly greater fairness in commodity payments. Researchers noted, "A solid majority of voters begins with the instinct that the farm bill needs reform." (Source: Lake Research Partners, "Public Attitudes on Farm Reform," July 2007).

It is encouraging that when these voters in rural areas were given more information about farm bill issues, including several reasons for reform, participants responded by increasing their support for farm bill reform. People were much less convinced by arguments against reforming the farm bill; after hearing several of these, their support for reform did not decrease.

All year, Bread for the World has been making the arguments that proved convincing to this large group of likely voters. These "fairness" reasons for reform include:

• The majority of farm subsidies go to the top 10 percent of farms, which has consolidated land ownership in the hands of a few of the largest farms and driven up the price of rural land. As a result, small and young farmers cannot afford farmland and struggle to stay in business.
  
• The farm bill is supposed to promote rural development, but federal subsidies reach only a tiny percentage of the 65 million Americans who live in rural America. Federal funds should focus on programs that benefit all of rural America.
  
• The current farm bill has the wrong priorities. Instead of providing enough funding for nutrition programs and feeding hungry people here at home, we continue to fund the production of a few favored crops to the benefit of large farmers.

Senators need to keep hearing from constituents about the critical reasons for reforming the farm bill -- reasons that voters support. The next steps toward passage of a final farm bill are for the Senate Agriculture Committee and then the full Senate to debate and vote on a bill. Once the Senate passes its bill, the House and Senate will negotiate a final compromise bill. Please keep up your faithful efforts to educate your senators on the realities of rural America and urge them to make the changes needed for a fair farm bill.

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Bread for the World Featured in President Clinton's New Book

President Bill Clinton's most recent book, published this September, is entitled Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. The book focuses on efforts being made by organizations and individuals to solve problems and save lives. Giving points out that gifts of time, skills, things and ideas are as important and effective as contributions of money. Clinton adds, "We all have the capacity to do great things. My hope is that the people and stories in this book will lift spirits, touch hearts, and demonstrate that citizen activism and service can be a powerful agent of change in the world."

Bread for the World is part of Chapter 12, “What About Government?” and is listed in the book’s resources section. After describing who Bread for the World is and calling us an “important anti-poverty advocacy group,” Clinton goes on to discuss Bread for the World’s commitment to effective international food aid. Rising energy costs, complicated logistics, and administrative costs now consume more than 60 percent of our main food aid program, so Bread for the World supports allowing for the purchase of food in countries near the food emergency areas when possible, thus providing more food more quickly. “With a small change in the law and minimal loss to American farmers and shippers,” writes Clinton, “we can provide food to save more lives – perhaps as many as fifty thousand a year – and help farmers in poor countries feed their neighbors. If you agree, you should contact Bread for the World and offer to help.”

Order Bread for the World Christmas Cards

Show your support of Bread for the World and hungry people: Send your friends and family Bread for the World Christmas cards.

The design features the following inside message: May God's peace be with you this season and throughout the new year.

Packages of 10 cards and envelopes are available for $10, with free shipping and handling. Additional designs can be purchased from our online store.  Please place your orders by December 10, to ensure delivery in time for Christmas. Cards can be ordered by visiting www.breadstore.org or by calling 1-800-822-7323 ext. 151. 

Use Your IRA to Fight Hunger

Until December 31, 2007, there's an extra reason to contribute to Bread for the World Institute using funds from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) – special tax treatment. 

If you are 70.5 or older, you may transfer funds up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to Bread for the World Institute as a charitable contribution, without paying the usual income tax on IRA withdrawals. By law, you must have your IRA administrator withdraw the funds and transfer them to Bread for the World Institute. Spouses who are at least 70.5 may also make tax-free gifts from their IRAs. The deadline for making these contributions is December 31, 2007, as specified in the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

For more information, please visit our Web site at www.bread.org/plannedgiving or call Steven Miller, Director of Development and Membership, at 800-822-7323, ext. 138.

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The Power of Grassroots Lobbying

By Derrick Boykin

"Speaking truth to power" is an all too familiar expression in the black Church experience. Our history of oppression linked with our quest for liberation, our enduring faith and unique biblical hermeneutic, continues to inspire men and women of each generation to call our nation to accountability for its sin against society's most vulnerable people. As a direct result, from a vast number of our pulpits across America, men and women can hear the clarion call of this prophetic mandate.

This charge is certainly not exclusive to the realm of our pulpits. Today, on Capitol Hill, there are men and women of faith who walk the halls of Congress urging policymakers to create and support legislation that, if passed, would work toward eradicating hunger and poverty here in the United States and around the world. Groups like Bread for the World and our partners are a voice of the voiceless. Lobbying Congress proves to be an effective ministry vehicle for speaking truth to power in pursuit of justice.

Clearly, for many Americans, lobbying is a dirty word… The media continuously floods us with reports on how special interest groups, usually representing big business, use lobbyists as potent agents of persuasion. Needless to say, in our nation's Capital their voices are thunderous and numerous.

Juxtapose their voices with the voices of men and women of faith and conscience who are backed by a steadfast conviction that the God of salvation history is still able to sway the minds and hearts of the pharaohs of our day. Unlike other lobbyists, whose power resides in the potency of the purse, these believers rely first and foremost on the power of God almighty, and then on an organized grassroots network. Without these advocacy efforts, other groups and forces that are not concerned about the plight of marginalized communities would often win out without a fight. These men and women have concluded they cannot afford not to be at the policy-making table.

The reality is Congress passes legislation every day that affects us all directly or indirectly. Most of this legislation determines how our tax dollars are going to be spent. The total outlays for the 2007 United States budget are now estimated at $2.8 trillion, and this number is expected to increase by $16 billion in 2008. These numbers are staggering, and as Christians and American citizens, our concern should be how all this money is spent.

You might ask why should we be concerned? As citizens of two kingdoms, the celestial kingdom and this democratic experiment, we have a voice, vote and a responsibility to ensure that we are good stewards of the resources placed at our nation's disposal. The federal budget is a moral document, showing in concrete financial terms the value our country puts on the specific needs and wants of our people…

As we continue to organize church by church and community by community, seeking to build and strengthen our grassroots lobby, this groundswell of political participation will make our work easier. By calling, writing, visiting members of Congress, watching their voting records and holding them accountable by the ballot our national priorities may possibly begin to reflect the priorities of the Kingdom of God.

A Hunger Focus for the Advent Season

The holiday season is already approaching, and Bread for the World members often find creative ways to celebrate Advent and Christmas with hungry and poor people in mind.

For Bread for the World members at Bethany Lutheran Church in Denver, CO, the season offers an opportunity to get children involved in the effort to achieve the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are a set of eight specific goals to relieve hunger, poverty and disease around the world; the United States has committed to helping to meet them by 2015.

The children's Christmas fair at the church is held around the first of December and features a choice of crafts. Denver Bread for the World activist Julie White will offer a craft station where kids can make a card and learn a little about the MDGs. Inside their cards, they will include a message: "What I really want for Christmas is…" and add a phrase related to the MDGs, like "a chance for all kids to go to school," or "bringing diseases like malaria under control." Julie will have the children leave their cards to be sent to their members of Congress.

The Christmas fair activity is part of Bethany Lutheran Church's commitment to help achieve the MDGs. Among their recent activities, said Julie, was "an incredible sermon by our pastor that included the congregation reading the MDGs aloud."

In Birmingham, AL, Bread for the World activists have organized the Giving Tree, a way for people to give a donation to a hunger-related cause in lieu of a gift to loved ones at Christmas.

The genesis of the project was the Presbyterian Hunger Program's model for a hunger ministry. In addition to direct food relief, development assistance, advocacy and other efforts, the model calls for "lifestyle integrity." The Giving Tree offers an opportunity for people to practice lifestyle integrity by using their Christmas resources to do more than buy gifts that may not be truly needed.

Activist Pat Pelham remembers that in the program's first year, most of the money raised came from a woman who honored her grandchild by providing a poor family with a cow through Heifer International. In addition to people who honor relatives, the program now also attracts parents wishing to honor Sunday school teachers and sports coaches, and businesspeople acknowledging clients. The Giving Tree offers a variety of beneficiaries: international, national and local hunger advocacy groups and direct-service groups. This past year, the Giving Tree raised $40,000 divided among seven organizations, including Bread for the World.

"After eight years, we have the logistics down to a science," said Pat. "The trick is to reach people before they've already gone shopping or ordered things online. We put notices in church publications in October and November, then have a table before and after services starting the first week of Advent."

Bread for the World offers alternative Christmas gift cards to let your friends or relatives know that you've made a gift for our work in their honor. Visit www.bread.org/christmas to learn more.

Bread for the World will also have 2007 Advent resources on our Web site in early November to download and print out.

Sneak Preview of Bread for the World’s Updated Look

We are in an exciting period of rapid growth and change at Bread for the World. Our mission of ending hunger in God's world, core Christian values, and commitment to public policy change remain steadfast. Membership has increased steadily over the past few years and a more diverse community of people are coming to this work. We've taken on new initiatives and have begun to communicate with our members in some innovative ways – for example, podcasts, which allow advocates to subscribe to personalized broadcasts on topics that interest them.

To win improvements for hungry and poor people in God's world, Bread for the World must be as strong and effective as possible, which means reaching out to all who might want to join in our collective Christian voice against hunger. As we head into 2008, Bread for the World will be refreshing our logo to reflect the ever-changing environment of our work.

In an effort to gauge whether our communications are effective in helping us accomplish our mission, earlier this year we talked with many people about our work. In a series of focus groups around the country, we heard from Bread for the World members and also people who are Christians and have an interest in public service, but are not yet Bread for the World members.

We found that for the most part, Bread for the World's public identity "works." So our new logo keeps the central imagery of the parable of the loaves and the fishes, with all the hope, Christian faith and concern for hungry people that it conveys. We also keep the focus on faith and hunger with the tag line "Have Faith. End Hunger."

We live in a world full of images – not just in advertising, but in the way we get information and make decisions. Our logo has been refined with a more contemporary and graphics-focused element. It emphasizes movement and action, as does Bread for the World itself. 

When we talked with Bread for the World members about how we communicate as an organization, they understood "seeking justice" in our current tagline to mean God's justice or social justice. But many people who seemed like good prospects to join Bread for the World did not necessarily make that connection – their thoughts were more often about the justice system or bringing criminals to justice. Justice – in the sense that we use the word at Bread for the World – is a key part of what we want to achieve. Our new logo conveys that Bread for the World is a Christian organization concerned about hunger. Once prospective advocates decide, based on this, that they'd like to know more about us, our materials focus on the concept of justice in greater depth.

As the “picture” of Bread for the World, our new logo makes a promise about how our organization works in the world: faith-based and action-oriented on a key human problem. It will help Bread for the World be more understandable and more inviting to potential members, while staying connected to our current members and our mission.

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Contact your senators and urge them to pass a fair farm bill this fall.

Points to make:

• Please ensure that the farm bill passed by the Senate includes:
  
  
  • Reform of commodity policies that protect multi-millionaire farmers but do little to support farmers most in need.
    
  • Increased food stamp benefits so that U.S. families can have access to nutritious and affordable food.
    
  • More investment in rural development, especially resources targeted to struggling U.S. communities.