Cardoza reprise
From the office of Rep. Dennis Cardoza, the opening statement at yesterday's farm bill mark-up hearing:
OPENING STATEMENT OF REP. DENNIS CARDOZA
2007 FARM BILL
HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE MARK-UP
Mr. Chairman and Members,
I would like to report that I met with the Chairman today and am pleased with his strong commitment to specialty crops in the Manager’s Amendment. Investment in specialty crops will strengthen the bill, bring broad and strong support to the bill and provide for a new vision for agriculture in this nation. Chairman Peterson and I also met with the Specialty Crop Alliance, and I am pleased to report that the Alliance is also in strong support of the Manager’s Amendment.
The Manager’s Amendment offers us an unprecedented opportunity to link healthy eating with support of our nation’s specialty crop industry. At a time when our nation is facing a health crisis with obesity and other diet-related illnesses, it is essential that the next Farm Bill policy promote healthy eating.
Increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables in schools, to food stamp recipients and the elderly isn’t just good for specialty crop growers--- it’s good for our nation’s health.
Increasing consumption of these healthy products through research, marketing and promotion programs isn’t just good for specialty crop growers--- it’s good for our economy.
Areas of this country that grow specialty crops have not received their fair share of funding under previous Farm Bills. The Manager’s Amendment will finally give the specialty crop industry the support it deserves. I thank the Chairman for his commitment to support.
The Chairman’s Mark also offers us an unprecedented opportunity to reward environmental stewardship. Providing support to farmers who invest in air and water quality improvements, conserve water or restore wildlife habitat isn’t just good for farmers---- it’s good for our environment and good for the nation.
The Chairman’s Mark also offers us an unprecedented opportunity to turn some of our "problems" into solutions--- investing in technologies that convert livestock manure, plant biomass or even switch grass into energy isn’t just good for farmers--- it’s good for our energy independence, good for our fight to address global warming and good for our nation’s security.
This bill represents a new day and a new vision for agriculture by providing a strong link between agriculture and our nation’s environmental, energy, nutrition and economic goals. I want to thank the Chairman for all his work toward achieving these goals. I look forward to today’s hearing and to continuing to work with the Chairman, my colleagues on the Committee and the over 120 co-sponsors of the EAT Healthy America Act on adopting a bill that meets these goals.
Labels: Collin Peterson, Dennis Cardoza, Farm Bill, FDA, obesity, specialty crop farm bill alliance
posted by Tom Karst @ 6:41 AM
1 Comments:
Just this week the House Agriculture Committee released its Farm Bill outlining new changes to federal support for farmers. As the bill relates to sugar, it looks like consumers and workers might get less than a sweet deal.
For years our Sugar Program as it is known channels big subsidies to sugar growers to reduce their costs and let them grow more sugar. Yet that's not all Big Sugar gets. The sugar program also severely restricts the amount of foreign supplies of sugar that is allowed into the US market. These restrictions - a blend of very high border taxes and quotas - are designed to make sure that US consumers don't get the benefit of tasting sugar grown in other countries such as Brazil and Haiti.These trade restrictions on foreign supplies of sugar have actually been partly to blame for the elimination of 11,000 sugar refining and candy manufacturing jobs. These industries have had to close their doors to US operations and open shop overseas to take advantage of cheaper supplies of sugar abroad. Of course these jobs wouldn't be lost if Congress eliminated the combination of highly restrictive quotas and tariffs.
Instead of turning things around Congress has made this bad system worse. The recently released Farm Bill proposes to make it that much more difficult for US candy makers and consumers to get access to foreign supplies of sugar. In the end, it is workers and consumers that will pay for this kind of protection offered to such a wealthy few.
For more on this and additional consumer issues check out Consumers for World Trade at: http://www.cwt.org/blog/
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