Senate Gets Moving - Farm Bill Update

Thank you to everyone who has taken action on the Farm Bill so far... We
urge you to make a few more phone calls to remind our Senators that we¹re
counting on them to support farm bill reform! Sample Scripts and phone
numbers at:
http://www.foodsecurity.org/california/11-2007%20Call%20Script.doc

Also ­ for CFJC members that are interested our monthly policy committee
call will take place on Thursday, Dec. 13th from 3-4 pm. If you are
interested please email Heather [at] foodsecurity.org for the call details.......



(Thanks to CFSC for this Update)
Farm Bill Action This Week

Senate Takes Up Farm Bill Debate!
Last Thursday night, the Senate reached a compromise on amendments to the
Farm Bill. Under their deal, the Senate will debate up to 40 amendments ­
each political party is allowed to propose 20. Votes are not expected until
late Tuesday, though debate on amendments began Friday, and will continue
this week. See below for a report on what amendments were presented Friday.
Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) has said that he hopes to
finish the Farm Bill by the end of next week. Harkin says if the Senate
finishes the bill next week, it might be possible to move to conference
(where House and Senate members work out differences between the two bills)
before Christmas, but that it is more likely a conference report will be
completed in January.

CALL YOUR SENATORS:
Now is a critical time to call your Senators. While CFSC's top priorities of
increased mandatory funding Community Food Projects, flexibility for
geographic preference in school food purchases, and infrastructure for local
food systems are in the Senate bill, your legislators still need to hear
that these priorities are important to you. This way, if something comes up
that threatens these priorities, your Senators already know what to do.

Please also call your Senators to support amendments that will help small
farmers, rural development, nutrition and conservation! Particularly
important is the Dorgan-Grassley Payment Limits Amendment, which will be the
major floor amendment on the farm bill, and is expected to be a close vote.
The amendment would cap commodity payments at $250K, close loopholes, and
redirect the savings to nutrition (including Community Food Projects),
conservation, rural development and beginning and minority farmer programs.
Details on the amendment:
http://e2ma.net/go/788107216/679982/24021710/goto:http://files.e2ma.net/1383
1/assets/docs/action_alert___dorgan_grassley_payment_limit_amendment.doc

The Ball Has Begun to Roll...
On Friday afternoon, Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Chambliss (R-GA)
came to the floor of the Senate to kick off the amendment process. For the
Democratics, Chairman Harkin presented the Dorgan-Grassley payment limit
reform and an amendment from Senator Brown (D-OH) that cuts federal crop
insurance expenditures. For the Republicans, Sen. Chambliss presented the
Lugar-Lautenberg alternative farm bill amendment, an amendment from Sen.
Cornyn (R-TX) to strike the $5 billion agricultural disaster fund, and
three amendments from Sen. Coburn (R-OK) - a ban on subsides to farmers who
do not receive at least two-thirds of their income from farming, a ban to
USDA funding for golf courses, casinos, and resorts, and a ban on historic
barn preservation funding during declared times of emergency disasters.
Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) then came to the floor and presented her amendment
that would impose more stringent limits on who is eligible to receive
subsidies. It would set an adjusted gross income limit at $750K for
full-time farmers and a $250K limit for Œpart-time¹ farmers, or those who
get less than 66% of their income from farming.
We will keep you updated as debate moves forward this week.


Other News in Food Security
USDA Issues Healthy WIC Food package
Last week, the US Department of Agriculture issued new regulations for the
Women, Infant and Children¹s (WIC) nutrition program to provide more
healthful and culturally appropriate foods. New options include a range of
fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and whole grains ­ in not only bread,
but in tortillas, rice and other grains. USDA also included important
related changes that ensure clients have access to the full amounts of food
they¹re entitled to, though implementing these improvements ³on the ground²
will still pose a significant challenge in many communities with limited
access to healthy foods. For more information, click here
.

Capitol Hill Briefing on Healthy Food Access
Last Wednesday, CFSC joined Congressmen Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Bennie
Thompson (D-MS), the Northeast Midwest Institute, the National Urban League,
and Policy Link in calling on Congress to pass a Farm Bill that addresses
the lack of affordable and healthy food in the nation¹s low-income
communities. Speakers Angela Glover Blackwell (PolicyLink), LaDonna Redmond
(Institute for Community Resources), Daniel Ross (Nuestras Raices), and Dr.
Gina Villani (the National Urban League) eloquently urged a large audience,
including many House staff members, to support a Farm Bill that includes $10
million in annual funding for Community Food Projects, $7 million for the
Healthy Food Urban Enterprise Development program, a no-cost healthy food
priority in the Rural Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program, and a
Food Access Study.


Alerts From Our Allies
Payment Limit Reform
Soon your Senators will cast a vote on whether to end million-dollar
payments to the nation's largest farms. Click here
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2715/t/3528/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1
3562 to tell your Senators you want strict payment limits. From the Center
for Rural Affairs

Livestock Competition
Large meatpackers want to prevent family farmers and ranchers from having
access to a fair and competitive marketplace for their livestock. Click here
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org%2Fo%2F2715%2Ft%2F3528%2Fcampaign.jsp%3F
campaign_KEY%3D13562>
to learn more and write to your Senators about rural
micro-enterprise. From the Center for Rural Affairs

In the News: A Little Dash of Everything*
Subsidies' Harvest of Misery
http://www.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2007%2F12%2F09%
2FAR2007120900911.html Washington Post, Jimmy Carter (12/10/07)

Farmers in Africa, West Rethink Subsidy
http://www.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2007%2F12%2F09%
2FAR2007120900613.html Washington Post, Chris Tomlinson (12/9/07)

Sterile Soil, Dirty Hands
http://www.grist.org%2Fcomments%2Ffood%2F2007%2F12%2F06%2Findex.html%3Fsourc
e%3Drss Grist.org, Tom Philpott (12/6/07)

If It's Fresh and Local, Is It Always Greener?
http://www.nytimes.com%2F2007%2F12%2F09%2Fbusiness%2Fyourmoney%2F09feed.html
%3Fpagewanted%3Dprint The New York Times, Andrew Martin (12/9/07)

Food prices: Cheap no more
http://economist.com%2Fdisplaystory.cfm%3Fstory_id%3D10250420 The
Economist, Gerrit Buntrock (12/6/07)

Healthier foods getting more costly, study says
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Ftexis.cgi%2Fweb%2Fvort
ex%2Fdisplay%3Fslug%3Dfood05m%26date%3D20071205%26query%3Ddrewnowski
Seattle Times, Lynda V. Mapes (12/5/07)

Amid debate, grocery chain bans high-fructose corn syrup
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com%2Ffood%2F341888_fructose01web.html Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, Rebekah Denn and Kristin Dizon (11/30/07)

Heritage Foundation on Hunger: Let Them Eat Broccoli
http://www.motherjones.com%2Fwashington_dispatch%2F2007%2F12%2Fhunger-let-th
em-eat-broccoli.html Mother Jones, James Ridgeway (12/3/07)




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The California Food and Justice Coalition is a statewide membership
coalition committed to
the basic human right to healthy food while advancing social, agricultural
and environmental justice.
We are partners of the national Community Food Security Coalition, and
collaborate with
community-based efforts in California working to create a socially just,
ecologically
and economically sustainable food supply. We envision a California food
system in which all activities,
from farm to table, are equitable, healthful, regenerative, and
community-driven.

California Food and Justice Coalition c/o CFSC
P.O. Box 209, Venice, CA 90294 ® 310-822-5410 ® FAX 310-822-1440
http://www.CAFoodJustice.org
email: info [at] CAFoodJustice.org