New players in the farm subsidy debate could have a dramatic impact on the 2007 federal Farm Bill. While farm subsidies have traditionally protected commodity crops, like cotton and corn, produce farmers are pushing for their cut. This is like the tectonic plates of farm policy shifting, because you have a completely new player coming in and demanding money, said EWG President Kenneth A. Cook to Alexei Barrionuevo of the New York Times. Since produce farmers are being quickly pushed out of the sidelines by countries like China, they've decided to become pro-active and environmentalists all in one offensive rush. Rather than heavily relying on commodity and disaster payments, produce farmers, under the name of specialty crops, will be looking for conservation payments. This way they can stay in business and do it environmentally. Maybe other farmers should follow suit. Join in the game and see what you can do here.
Additional resources: The Press Enterprise 12/06/06
