Recent Developments
Last Updated: March 21, 2007
Bread for the World's 2007 Offering of Letters, Seeds of Change, calls on Congress to reform the U.S. farm bill in order to improve the way its resources are allocated. The farm bill, due to be reauthorized this year, should strengthen rural communities and better support U.S. families who have trouble putting food on the table, farmers of modest means, and struggling farmers in developing countries.
Congress is now considering the administration's FY2008 budget request. The House and Senate budget committees are making decisions on broad budget categories, including the total amount of funding available for the farm bill. Both the House and Senate budget committees are expected to mark up the FY2008 budget resolution before the Easter recess.
Bread for the World staff and coalition partners have been visiting the offices of members of the budget committees to urge them to support strong funding for nutrition programs in the FY2008 budget. Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) has also encouraged the Senate Budget Committee to provide more money for nutrition programs. Harkin recently spoke to Bread for the World's Board of Directors about his goals for the farm bill. Among them are allowing food stamp participants to own more assets and increase spending on fruits and vegetables in schools.
The administration has made farm bill recommendations that include an array of policy changes on commodity payments, rural development, the Food Stamp Program and other nutrition programs. It is a complex proposal with recommendations that would have some positive effects on portions of the farm bill but devastating effects on the Food Stamp Program.
As the Seeds of Change Offering of Letters continues, members of Congress need to hear from their constituents. Phone calls, visits and letters are carrying our reform message to members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. Keep up the good work!
Read BFW President David Beckmann's testimony to the Senate Agriculture Committee 
from January 31, 2007.
