The Latest from AgMag

Policy Plate: Push for House to End Direct Payments

Monday, July 2, 2012

Now that the Senate has passed a farm bill that ends direct payments to farmers, the pressure is on for the House to do the same. Trish Choate of the San Angelo Standard-Times uses the 2012 EWG Farm Subsidy Database to explain the federal handout system in Texas, the state that receives the most farm subsidies.

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Policy Plate: Iowa: Second in the Nation

Friday, June 29, 2012

Environmental Working Group’s latest update of the farm subsidy database shows that Iowa grain producers are still reaping big benefits from taxpayers. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the Hawkeye State “ranks second in the nation in terms of farm subsidies, with 8.7 percent of the total in 2011.”

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Policy Plate: Farm Subsidies Still Concentrated in the Hands of the Most Successful

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Environmental Working Group’s latest update of the EWG farm subsidy database shows that farm subsidies continue to benefit the largest and most successful farm businesses and a handful of states and congressional districts.

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Policy Plate: $6.2 million to Members of Congress or Their Family Members

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Environmental Working Group’s latest update of the EWG farm subsidy database shows that 23 members of Congress, or their family members, benefitted from $6,199,807 in taxpayer-funded farm subsidy payments between 1995 and 2011.

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Policy Plate: Farm Subsidies Go To Most Successful

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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Policy Plate: EWG to Release 2012 Farm Subsidy Database

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Environmental Working Group will host a press briefing tomorrow in Room 304 in the Cannon House Office Building at 1:00 p.m. (EST) for accredited journalists and congressional staffers to release its latest edition of its highly referenced farm subsidy database. The 2012 database tracks $277.3 billion in commodity, crop insurance, conservation, and disaster subsidies paid between 1995 and 2011.

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Policy Plate: Howard Buffett Among Farm Subsidy Recipients

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A 60 Minutes profile of Howard Buffett, who will succeed his father, Warren, as a non-executive chairman of a multibillion dollar holding company, reports that he has received $300,000 in farm subsidies over 13 years.

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Policy Plate: Editorials Praise Chambliss’ Conservation Amendment

Monday, June 25, 2012

Two newspaper editorials have applauded Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., for his successful efforts to add a conservation compliance amendment to the recently passed Senate farm bill. The proposal simply restores the conservation quid pro quo between taxpayers and farmers as crop insurance subsidies replace traditional farm payments.

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Policy Plate: Farm Bill Reform Champions

Friday, June 22, 2012

Today, the Environmental Working Group thanked 11 senators for leading the fight for true food and farm policy reform in the 2012 farm bill that passed in the Senate. These Senate champions displayed their leadership on issues that will impact consumers, improve the environment and reduce hunger.

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11 Champions

Friday, June 22, 2012

Everyone who eats should take a moment to thank 11 senators who proposed farm bill amendments designed to ensure that our farm and food policies help more farmers, the environment and the hungry at less cost to the taxpayer.

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Policy Plate: Farm Bill Opens Door to More Subsidy Fraud?

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Today, CNBC.com reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture encountered significant shortcomings in dealing with fraud in the federal crop insurance program. It pointed out that the newly passed Senate farm bill would open the door for more fraud. The bill, which adds a new layer to the already bloated insurance program to guarantee business income for large farmers, does not have any government protections to prevent fraudulent claims.

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Subsidy Reform Alliance Targets Farm Bill

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Environmental Working Group joined a politically diverse alliance of fiscal and environmental groups at the National Press Club today to highlight shortcomings in the 2012 Senate farm bill.

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Senate Puts Crop Insurance Companies Ahead of Needy Children

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

EWG issued the following statement by Scott Faber, Vice President for Government Affairs, on the Senate's failure to pass Senator Gillibrand's amendment to reduce subsidies to crop insurance companies to restore proposed cuts to feeding assistance programs and to increase funding for the fresh fruit and vegetable snack program.

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Policy Plate: Editorials All Over the Map

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Environmental Working Group releases today an updated interactive map containing more than 550 pro-reform farm bill editorials -- nearly a 100 since the last farm bill. The newly added editorials call for significant reform to current food and agriculture policy in a way that is beneficial to family farmers, hungry children, taxpayers and the environment.

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Policy Plate: FERN on Subsidized Crop Insurance

Monday, June 18, 2012

The Food and Environment Reporting Network released an investigation into government subsidized crop insurance today at MSNBC.com.

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Policy Plate: Money Managers and Banks Swoon Over Subsidized Crop Insurance

Friday, June 15, 2012

Gregory Meyer at the Financial Times has an explosive story (subscription required) on how big time money managers can’t get enough of the federal government’s revenue guarantees with crop insurance subsidies.

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Seeking Reasonable Limits on Crop Insurance Subsidies

Friday, June 15, 2012

“Large farms simply don’t need unlimited government support to pay for crop insurance. Capping these premium supports will cut the deficit, while ensuring farms continue to have access to insurance. It’s just common sense.”

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