Farm Bill Extension in Fiscal Cliff Deal a Disgrace – January 3, 2013

Move reflects the skewed priorities that continue to produce an unbalanced farm and food policy, say critics

Buried in the 150-page “fiscal cliff” tax bill passed New Year’s Day is a last-minute farm bill extension that buys time for Congress to craft and debate food and farm policy for the long haul since they failed to complete a much-needed overhaul of the federal farm programs in 2012.

Instead of eliminating the wasteful direct payments program, the bill passed by Congress cuts funding for organic agriculture, clean water and beginning farmer initiatives. The extension perpetuates the widely discredited direct payment farm subsidies that will send $5 billion this year alone to large farming operations that already reap record profits.

This move… more

by: Ecowatch

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