Achieving a Sustainable Farm Bill
Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Law, 2013
Posted: 23 Nov 2013
Date Written: May 28, 2013
Abstract
This textbook chapter comes in Part IV off the groundbreaking Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Law, in which leading environmental legal scholars Mary Jane Angelo, Jason Czarnezki, and Bill Eubanks, along with five distinguished contributing authors, undertake an exploration of the challenging political and societal issues facing agricultural policy and modern food systems through the lens of environmental protection laws. It is the first book to examine both the impact of agricultural policy on the environment and the influence of environmental law on food and agriculture.
This chapter highlights an example of broadscale agriculture policy reform by phasing out commodity subsidies and moving towards a more equitable economic incentive structure based on sustainable yield-focused conservation benefits. The chapter then takes aim at six targeted reforms that are within our grasp during the current Farm Bill cycle should Congress and the public prioritize efforts to bolster a healthy, environmentally sustainable, and resilient food and farm system.
The copyright is held by the Environmental Law Institute/Thomson Reuters and can be purchased at their website.
Keywords: Farm Bill, policy reform, agroeconomics, conservation, planting flexibility, direct payments, commodity subsidies, countercyclical payments, conservation compliance, crop insurance, local food systems, organic agriculture
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