The Farm Bill Uprooted

Episode Six: Solutions

In Episode Six of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from experts from across the food system on what changes are needed in the 2023 Farm Bill and beyond. From nutrition access to fair markets to climate resilience, a better food system is possible; it’s up to us to demand it. 
 
References and Further Reading: 
Closing the Meal Gap Act 
Improving Access to Nutrition Act 
Enhanced Access to SNAP Act 
Hot Foods Act 
Meat Packing Special Investigator Act 
Farm System Reform Act 
Fairness for Small Farmers Act 
EQIP Improvement Act 
Agriculture Resilience Act 
RAFI-USA Marker Bill Tracker 
Why we need an Agricultural Market Volatility Relief Program 

Episode 5: Insecure

The Farm Bill shapes our food and farm system in the U.S., and, through the Nutrition Title, helps millions of Americans afford food. But with nutrition assistance programs like SNAP vulnerable to cuts, and rural food access weakened by decades of corporate consolidation, how well is the Farm Bill really serving eaters? In Episode Five of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from IATP's Erin McKee VanSlooten, Kate Hansen of the Center for Rural Affairs and Marcus Grignon of the Rural Coalition, on what's needed to rebuild community-based food systems and create a Farm Bill that's by and for the people.
 
References and Further Reading:
Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Farm Bill priorities
Food Price Outlook, 2023 and 2024, (2023) USDA Economic Research Center
A Short History of SNAP, USDA
A Quick Guide to SNAP Eligibility and Benefits, (2023) Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grant Evaluation, (2023) IATP & UMN

Episode 4: Consolidated

Over the past few decades, the landscape of the food and farm system has become more concentrated, less diverse and less resilient. In Episode Four of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment’s (CFFE) Patty Lovera and Iowa Interfaith Power and Light’s (IIPL) Elston Tortuga about how corporate consolidation in the food system has impacted farmers and rural communities, and how Farm Bill reforms can help.

Episode 3: Discredited

How does credit access shape our food and agriculture system? In Episode Three of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from IATP’s Dr. Steve Suppan, along with Margaret Krome-Lukens and Ray Jeffers of RAFI-USA, about how the Farm Bill Credit Title both undermines climate resilience by propping up the industrial model of production and reinforces a history of racism in American agriculture.
Learn more about RAFI-USA, NFFC and the Fair Credit for Farmers Act.

Episode 2: Polluted

After decades of Farm Bill policy incentivizing the overproduction of commodity crops, conventional agriculture in the U.S. has taken an increasing toll on water, soil and the climate — and on farmers’ own ability to withstand extreme weather and climate disruptions. Episode Two of the Farm Bill Uprooted features IATP’s Michael Happ and the University of Iowa’s Dr. Silvia Secchi on industrial agriculture’s environmental impacts and the Conservation Title programs meant to address them. 

Episode 1: Overgrown

How do we ensure fair prices for farmers and consumers while building climate resilience, protecting the environment and sustaining rural communities? And what happens when Farm Bill policies incentivize the opposite approach? Hear from IATP’s Ben Lilliston and Karen Hansen-Kuhn in Episode One of the Farm Bill Uprooted, which dives into Farm Bill basics, and how it’s shaped a food and farm system dominated by commodity production and overgrown corporate agribusiness interests.
 
References and further reading:
USDA ERS, Food Access Research Atlas
USDA ERS, Key Statistics and Graphics
About half of US water 'too polluted' for drinking, swimming or fishing, report finds. The Hill. Shirin Ali, 2022. 
Food fight: The Citizen’s Guide to the Next Food and Farm Bill. Daniel Imhoff, 2012.
The new deal’s impacts on sharecropping and tenant farming in the US South: a history  Michael Sligh, 2021.
Crisis by Design: A Brief Review of U.S. Farm Policy. Mark Richie & Kevin Ristau, 1987.

Introducing: The Farm Bill Uprooted

The Farm Bill sets the course for our food and agriculture system in the U.S. – and right now, there's a lot that's not working. How did we get here? And how can we fix it? Coming soon from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a new 6-part podcast series: The Farm Bill Uprooted. Episode One premieres July 12.
Featuring:
Dr. Silvia Secchi, University of Iowa
Lilly Richard, IATP
Michael Happ, IATP
Kate Hansen, Center for Rural Affairs
Dr. Steve Suppan, IATP
Karen Hansen-Kuhn, IATP
Margaret Krome-Lukens, RAFI-USA
Ray Jeffers, RAFI-USA
Erin McKee-VanSlooten, IATP
Ben Lilliston, IATP
Marcus Grignon, Rural Coalition
Elston Tortuga, Iowa Interfaith Power and Light

Talking COP27 Episode 4: The fight for real climate action continues

After an extended negotiation, COP27 concluded on November 20th, 2022 with, for the most part, a disappointing outcome. Despite the hopeful decision to create a dedicated Loss and Damage fund for countries most impacted by climate disasters, COP27's final agreement fell short of what we need to keep the planet under 1.5 C degrees of warming. In our final episode of the series, we discuss how the conference played out, and what's next in the fight for real climate action. 
Find more information and an episode transcript on our website.

Talking COP27 Bonus clip: More COP updates

Ahead of IATP's final days at COP27, hear from Shefali Sharma on progress at the conference and the struggle to hold governing bodies accountable.
Visit our COP27 web hub for more articles, reports and media.

Talking COP27 Bonus clip: Greetings from Sharm El-Sheikh

With COP27 under way in Sharm El-Sheikh, hear a message from IATP's Sophia Murphy on her experience so far, recorded in the early hours before Day 5 of the conference.Learn more about Article 6.4 and what needs to be done to regulate offset markets here and visit our COP27 web hub at iatp.org/cop27-2022.