All Over The Map: Editorial Map Analysis

The 2007/2008 Farm Bill debate brought unprecedented attention to—and criticism of—America’s wasteful, outdated system of farm subsidies.

Unfortunately, the bills passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate last year, which now await Conference Committee action that has been stalled by a presidential veto threat, do almost nothing to stem the billions of dollars of taxpayer funded handouts to wealthy individuals and profitable plantation-scale farm operations. These subsidy abuses paradoxically occur in the face of a worsening overall US economy, and an “overheated” farm economy posting record high farm income and record high prices for many crops.

In addition, the recently passed stimulus legislation will send a few hundred dollars to most Americans to help them cope with the strains of a weakening economy. Those same Americans will be shocked to learn that Congress is about to lavish tens of thousands of dollars per year on large-scale farming operations that are earning record incomes, largely due to the ethanol boom.

EWG has developed an interactive map of the more than 400 pro-reform Farm Bill editorials published in the past year from across America. Few issues have garnered as much editorial page criticism of Congress. A body which by and large has acceded to the subsidy lobby’s preferences for unlimited taxpayer support for the largest commercial farming operations in the country. This occurs while most farmers and ranchers receive no support at all. Congress’ unwillingness to take on these special interests has only increased the clamor for change in the nation’s newspapers.

Two main themes emerge from these editorials:

• Something must be done to stop the taxpayer-funded giveaways to wealthy individuals and operations that do not need support. Especially when so many other crucial programs such as nutrition and conservation are lacking critical funding.
• Ironically, the Bush Administration comes across as far more progressive and reform minded than the Democratic leadership of the House and Senate when it comes to matters of equity and fairness in subsidy payments. “Change” may be the buzzword of this presidential campaign cycle, but when it comes to the farm bill, Congress is hewing to the flawed, failed policies of the past

The editorial map also deflates recent claims that criticism of status quo subsidies amount to little more than uninformed complaining by out of touch elites far removed, geographically and intellectually, from the realities of “production agriculture.” Senate Agriculture Committee member Kent Conrad (D-ND) told the Bismarck Tribune “We're also fighting against an East Coast media that simply doesn't understand farming and is encouraging opposition to the farm bill.” Back in August, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Colin Peterson (D-MN) informed Delta Farm Press that “those of us in farm country don’t know about the big city and we aren’t about to tell them what to do. But these big-city editorial writers and others don’t have a clue about agriculture and they should keep out of our business. We’d all be better off.”

As the map makes clear, some of the strongest criticism of agri-business as usual farm subsidies has arisen from the heart of farm country itself, in California, the Midwest, the Mountain West and the South. Nor is it only editorial boards that think an overhaul of agriculture policy is past due. A recent poll commissioned by Oxfam America in several states including Iowa, Colorado, and Minnesota shows that 60 percent of voters believe the Farm Bill needs reform.

It is clear that while most Americans and their local newspapers feel change is needed in federal farm policy, the subsidy lobby and their friends in Congress are mired in the special interest politics of the past.