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March 28, 2018DES MOINES, Iowa | By: INS / Vinzant
Advocates of sustainable agriculture are urging Congress to pass a farm bill that backs stronger farming conservation practices.
Anna Johnson with the Center for Rural Affairs says the recently introduced GROW Act, which stands for Give our Resources the Opportunity to Work, would maintain funding and acreage levels for the farm bill's three largest conservation programs: Conservation Stewardship, Environmental Quality Incentives and Conservation Reserve. Johnson says any new bill should reward farmers who embrace conservation practices and those who enroll marginal agricultural lands for greater productivity.
The farm bill is revised every five years, and the current debate comes at a time when farm income is at its lowest point in 12 years. The 2014 farm bill is set to expire this September.
Johnson says the new farm bill should also reward farmers practicing conservation innovation when it comes to crop insurance policies. She notes that current rules require that farmers follow “good farming practices” to qualify for crop insurance, but they do not include conservation practices. She says the next generation of farmers will need support to continue good stewardship practices.
The first farm bill was created in 1933 and provided subsidies to farmers during the Great Depression.
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