Farm Bill Should Prioritize Food for People

Farmers and ranchers from Colorado and across the US recently visited Washington DC in hopes of transforming the 2023 Farm Bill. Colorado Springs based rancher Mike Callicrate, says previous farm bills have been at odds with the USDA is own dietary recommendations. He says the lion's share farm subsidies do not help grow food that people eat. They help grow commodities that can be used to create more profitable but less healthy processed food.

“And so at the same time, as USDA is promoting more fruits and vegetables and healthier food going into our diets, we support something entirely different.”

The USDA recommends a diet of 50% fruits and vegetables but only 4% of farm subsidies support their production. big agribusiness has long had Congress's ear when it comes to structuring the Farm Bill. Callicrate says part of the farm bills should support local and regional food systems that pay farmers a fair price for bringing healthy foods directly to consumers, which can strengthen rural economies. He believes the farm bill should benefit the people on the land who take the risk and do the work of producing food.

“The whole attitude of USDA has been for a long time get bigger get out, you know and all of that is to the benefit of the biggest corporations.”

According to a survey commissioned by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, nearly eight in 10 Americans say the production of sustainable food for people should be prioritized over producing feed for livestock.