New Hunger Report Suggests Ending Farm Subsidies

By Lisa Kellman

The group Bread for the World released its “2012 Hunger Report” Monday, which argues against cutting U.S. food and farm aid budgets.

Officials associated with the report held a press conference at the National Press Club to discuss solving issues within some of the nation’s current food and farm policies.

With the ‘super committee’s’ Wednesday deadline to slash $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit approaching, the heads of congressional agriculture committees have devised a plan to save $23 billion over the next five years by making cuts from programs under their jurisdiction.

David Beckman, president of Bread for the World Institute, supported saving money by shifting away from direct farm subsidy payments and toward a more “comprehensive revenue insurance” system in order to help with farm risk management. 

However, he also voiced concern over making conservation programs and food stamp funding part of the $23 billion cut.

“Because our food and farm policy have been so driven by special interests, they’re suboptimal in almost every respect,” argued Beckman, “Bread for the World’s most urgent recommendation is that Congress not cut SNAP food assistance in order to pay for wasteful farm subsidies.”

Many other panelists called for an end to farm subsidies and other harmful issues.

“We can dramatically improve the health and well being of our population, provide a safety net to farmers, farm sustainably and in an environmentally sound way for less money than we’re spending right now, if we had the courage to face down the special interests that time and again frustrate reform,” argued Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group.

Cook cited as an example, Congress’ revised agriculture appropriations bill last week, which counts tomato sauce in pizza as a vegetable and was pushed furtively by frozen pizza lobbyists.

The report also proposed increased funding to child nutrition programs, an additional commitment to aid hunger and food security abroad, and a proposal called “Ag jobs” that would create a guest farm worker program for immigrant laborers.

“All this can be done and you could save a lot more than the $23 billion,” said Beckman.