Broad reform of U.S. food and farm policy is important to progress against hunger and poverty in this country and around the world. If we are successful in making the kinds of adjustments to U.S. farm programs that strengthen rural communities and struggling farmers here in the United States, we could also improve the ability of small-holder farmers in developing countries to improve their livelihoods and escape poverty. The current system should be changed in ways that would provide better and broader support for U.S. farmers, strengthen communities in rural America, provide an adequate, nutritious diet for hungry people in this country, and support the efforts of small farmers in developing countries to get their products to market and feed their families.

Bread for the World will urge Congress to take the opportunity presented by the reauthorization of the farm bill to increase its capacity to reduce hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.  We will urge Congress to make constructive adjustments in the commodity payment programs that would provide more support for farm and rural families of modest means and also help to reduce hunger in our country and around the world.

The 2007 farm bill should:

A.  Strengthen and expand programs that reduce hunger in the United States

• Increase funding for the Nutrition Title
  
• Strengthen the Food Stamp Program
• Increase benefit levels
• Expand eligibility and increase program participation
• Undertake measures to reduce the stigma associated with food stamps
  
• Strengthen TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) and CSFP (Commodity Supplemental Food Program)
  
• Expand programs that improve nutrition for poor people
• Strengthen local and regional farm-to-market connections
• Provide incentives for purchase of fruits and vegetables

B.  Increase investments that strengthen rural communities

• Increase funding for the Rural Development Title
  
• Promote local initiatives to revitalize rural towns
  
• Foster opportunity and innovation in agriculture
  
• Provide resources and incentives for rural entrepreneurs
  
• Increase investments in telecommunications and broadband access in rural counties

C.  Provide a broader, more equitable system of support for U.S. farmers and rural communities

• Provide a transition for farmers from existing commodity payment programs to alternative kinds of support
  
• An alternative support system for farmers and ranchers should be based on the following objectives:
• helps farmers and ranchers better manage their own economic risk
• allows farmers and ranchers to respond primarily to market signals
• no longer ties support payments to specific crops
• ensures farm payment programs comply with  current trade rules and eliminates trade distortions that disadvantage farmers in developing countries
• provides more support to those who need it most, and phases out support to those who need it least
• helps minority farm families
• directs payments to those who are farm operators or to owners who live in rural communities
• supports new farmers and ranchers who want to enter agriculture
• encourages diversification on farms and ranches
• curtails the farm consolidation trend
• simplifies farm support mechanisms

D.  Strengthen policies that promote conservation and stewardship of the land

• Increase funding for the Conservation Title
  
• Reward stewardship of working farms and ranches
  
• Increase access to and coverage of land retirement programs
  
• Expand technical assistance to include minority farmers

E.  Protect the health and safety of farmworkers

• Increase pesticide protections for farmworkers

F.  Expand energy-related research

• Increase funding for the Research Title
  
• Expand research to accelerate the development of energy-efficient alternatives to fossil fuels—especially biomass sources of energy

G.  Improve and expand international food aid

• Ensure ongoing, consistent and increasingly efficient U.S. food assistance
• Increase authorized funding levels for emergency food aid
• Authorize cash resources for local purchase of food aid in countries outside the United States
• Allow flexibility in how U.S. food aid is conveyed for famine relief in order to use the most effective, cost-efficient means of transportation