WHY

We feature the latest on food security -- whether it's a news item, an action alert, or an article you might have missed elsewhere. Check back regularly and see What's New!

December 17, 2009

Take back control of your food!

There are two million farmers and 300 million eaters in the United States. Standing between them are a handful of corporations who control how food gets from one side to the other.

Let's change the equation.

For the first time ever, the Justice Department is on a fact-finding mission looking at how big business controls food and farming -- and they want to hear from YOU. Most of what matters to you about food -- and most of what probably makes you mad about why food isn't healthier, safer, tastier, etc. -- is affected by that narrow bottleneck of power between producers and consumers. Now's your chance: the Justice Department is specifically seeking comments and stories about how corporate control of the food system affects average citizens. Your voice REALLY matters.

Write a short comment to the Justice Department about how big business' control of  food affects you. We've made it really easy for you - get your ideas jumpstarted here, and then take a look at this super easy template and sample letters. Your comment can be short and informal; don't worry about spelling out the connections too precisely. The important thing is to express from your own experience what most concerns you or how you've been affected by corporate consolidation in the food industry. Be honest and speak from your heart.

Maybe you don't feel like you're qualified to write to the Justice Department, or you feel like your voice wouldn't matter - but you are and it does. They are specifically seeking comments and stories about how corporate control of the food system affects average citizens - this is our chance to tell them what's wrong with the food system.

WHY and Partners Launch a Call to Action on the Global Food Crisis

September 15, 2008

Protect Funding for Organic Agriculture Research!

One of the hard-won gains in the 2008 Farm Bill was a much-needed boost to the USDA's premier organic agriculture research program, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). But now both the Senate and the President want to take some of that money away!

The OREI funds highly critical research important to the improvement of organic farming systems, which is increasingly essential as the organic share of the retail food market grows. Funding for OREI has historically been woefully inadequate; between 2004 in 2006, the USDA was able to fund fewer than 15% of the fundable organic agriculture research proposals submitted. The OREI received a fivefold increase in mandatory funding in the 2008 Farm Bill -- now we need to keep that increase from being cut!

Click here to take action!

August 5, 2008

Coalition of Immokalee Workers Targets Chipotle

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award winner and longtime WHY partner fights for "fair food" and the rights of farmworkers. Two years ago, the CIW asked Chipotle Mexican Grill -- the fastest-growing chain in the fast food industry and the self-proclaimed leader in "Food with Integrity" -- to follow the lead of the world's three largest fast-food companies, in improving tomato pickers' low wages and dire working conditions. To date, Chipotle's executives have evaded CIW's call, indicating that "Food with Integrity" doesn't include fairness for farmworkers.

CIW has led successful campaigns for farmworker justice against McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell, who have all agreed to pay an extra penny per pound for tomatoes. Now CIW is asking its supporters to turn their attention to Chipotle.

Take Action!

• Download a letter to Chipotle managers here, and drop it off at your local Chipotle. Let the manager know you support fair wages and real rights for farmworkers in Chipotle's tomato supply chain.
• Send postcards to the corporate headquarters of Chipotle. Email CIW (mailto:workers@ciw-online.org ) to request postcards.
• CIW has many more ideas for creative local actions, such as street theater, film screenings, and more.

Learn more:

• WHY profile of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
• Food Security Learning Center topic on migrant and seasonal farmworkers
• Want Some Basic Human Dignity with that Burrito?, The Nation blog

July 2, 2008

It's Official: Farm -- and Food -- Bill 2008

After a technical glitch that accidentally omitted one title from the Farm Bill, the corrected bill was passed in its entirety last month. The President vetoed the bill for a second time on June 18, and Senate and House met quickly to override the veto with the nearly identical veto-override votes that they had on May 22.

 

For all the details on the new Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (H.R. 6124), including wins and losses on issues WHY advocated for, see:

• Community Food Security Coalition
• National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
• Family Farm Defenders
• A Wasted Opportunity for Change, a commentary by National Family Farm Coalition President Ben Burkett
• The Food Bill Battle: The Victories and Losses, by WHY's own Ellie Hurley, in WHY Reporter

Now we have to ensure that the programs we fought for get implemented and funded! Stay tuned for next steps.

June 4, 2008

USDA to Stop Collecting Data on Pesticide Use

Alarming news from the Union of Concerned Scientists:
The National Agricultural Statistics Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has announced that it will stop collecting data about the amount of pesticide applied to various crops. The program has been the public's only source of reliable data on pesticide and fertilizer use for much of the United States. These data showed that pesticide use in engineered corn, soybeans, and cotton was higher than in conventional varieties, even though the biotech industry claimed that engineered crops would need less pesticide. Without the USDA's data, scientists and food safety advocates will have no way to track this trend into the future and evaluate the biotechnology industry's claims. The Environmental Protection Agency also relies on the data to determine which chemicals should be regulated.

In response to the announcement, 44 scientific, environmental, and sustainable farming groups have asked the Secretary of Agriculture to reverse the decision.Read the letter, or read more from the Associated Press.

May 30, 2008

Update: Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and Burger King reach agreement!

Last week, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (a Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award winner and longtime WHY partner) ended its campaign against Burger King with a joint press conference and signing ceremony at the US Capitol. After a year of escalating pressure by CIW and its allies, Burger King has agreed to join other fast food giants Yum! Brands and McDonald's in improving farm worker wages and working conditions.

More on this historic agreement:

• Victory for Tomato Pickers' Fight against Burger King, from The Nation.
• Joint press release from CIW and Burger King
• Student/Farmworker Alliance
• Learn more at the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers topic of the Food Security Learning Center

 

May 29, 2008

Save the Risk Management Agency Community Outreach Program!

The popular and productive Risk Management Agency (RMA) Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program faces a severe cut that threatens its ability to fund small-scale producers for the life of the 2008 Farm Bill. Immediate action is needed!

Background
Community Outreach Partnerships provide assistance to thousands of socially disadvantaged, beginning and transitioning producers who frequently produce crops that are not well-served by existing crop insurance programs. Proposed reductions would gut one of the most important and effective programs for socially disadvantaged and beginning producers -- and run counter to Farm Bill priorities requiring special emphasis on risk management strategies, education, and outreach specifically targeted to these populations and other new farmers. Learn about programs funded under this important provision here (PDF) and here.

Funding for the entire RMA program has been cut in half in the 2008 Farm Bill (to $12.5 million), and as a result, the agency's priorities are shifting. Last fiscal year, Community Outreach Partnerships totaled $8.3 million. This year, cuts threaten to reduce funds for this critical program to $2.5 million or less.

Take action!
Contact US Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and USDA Risk Management Agency Administrator Eldon Gould. Urge them to protect the RMA Risk Management Community Outreach Partnership Program from cuts and maintain funding at current levels. You can also contact your Congressional Representative and Senators with the same message (call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to reach them).

April 29, 2008

Tell Congress: Protect People from the Recession!

As we wait for our economic stimulus checks to arrive in the next month, many Americans are not planning big-ticket purchases, but instead are looking forward to having a little extra to buy groceries and pay the bills. Economists of all stripes agree that the best way to boost the economy is to put money in the hands of low- and moderate-income people. Our partners at the Coalition on Human Needs have an easy way for you to tell Congress to provide more help to people and communities hit by the recession.

 

Click here to send an email to your U.S. Representative and Senators urging them to support a stimulus plan that provides various forms of assistance to low-income people and aid to states to avoid any further loss of services or jobs.

April 14, 2008

Take Action to Stop the U.S.-Colombia FTA Vote!

President Bush sent the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement to Capitol Hill, ignoring objections of Speaker Pelosi and other congressional leaders. It was the first time in the 35-year history of the "fast-track" process that a President sought to force lawmakers to vote on a trade deal against their wishes. To reassert their Constitutional authority over trade, the House voted to stop the 90-day "fast track" time-table. (Citizen's Trade Campaign) Nonetheless, the Colombia FTA could come up for vote as early as this month.

The lack of fundamental labor rights in Colombia continues to persist, with over 50 union-members murdered in 2007-08, several attempted murders, and hundreds of death threats. The Government of Colombia routinely and systematically fails to protect labor leaders and the right for workers to organize. If the FTA is passed, labor and human rights violations will continue, and may increase. Groups concerned about the consistent negative impact free trade agreements have on agriculture, labor and human rights, industry, and the environment have spoken out against the proposed agreement since early 2007.

If passed, the U.S.-Colombia FTA will:

• Further undermine human rights and fuel conflict. Currently over 3.8 million Colombians are displaced from their land, in large part due to ongoing civil war. The FTA will deepen the economic disparity that has caused the conflict.
• Destroy small farmers. The Colombian Ministry of Agriculture estimates that if tariffs on agricultural imports from the U.S. are limited, farmers' income will drop by more than half. This has already happened in Mexico, where the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) displaced 1.3 million farmers.
• Hinder access to life-saving medicines. The agreement contains NAFTA-style provisions that undermine rights and access to affordable medicines. It will further exacerbate a failed Colombian health system that only reaches 10 percent of Afro-Colombians.

 

 

Take Action! Call your members of Congress and ask them to take a public position against the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your members of Congress. For talking points, see the Alliance for Responsible Trade.

April 11, 2008

Biofuels and Food Riots

The economics of food, fuel, climate, and agriculture have been capturing headlines recently. Food stamp applications are up in the US, in response to skyrocketing prices at the grocery store. Social unrest is mounting internationally, as citizens in Haiti, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and other nations protest price increases of as much as 60% for staple foods. People around the world are suddenly finding themselves unable to feed their families -- and those price hikes most affect the poorest of the poor.

To learn more about the complex issues behind rising food prices, check out these interesting reads:

• Grains Gone Wild, by Paul Krugman, New York Times
• Food Fights, by Laura Carlsen, Center for International Policy
• The Clean Energy Scam, by Michael Grunwald, Time
• UN chief calls for review of biofuels policy, by Julian Borger, The Guardian
• Grist's Victual Reality, by Tom Philpott

April 10, 2008

Farm Bill Update: A New Call to Action on Community Food Projects!

From our partners at the Community Food Security Coalition:

With food prices rising around the world and increasing demand for food stamps across the country, it is becoming more imperative that Congress produces a farm bill that the President will not veto. A new framework was released last week, and an April 18 deadline was set for passage of the new bill. However, every time we think that a new farm bill might be near, Congress seems to find a way to delay its passage again. Nonetheless, we must behave as if this deadline is the last one.

The Community Food Projects program (CFP) is hanging in the balance of this Farm Bill debate, and calls from you might help tip the balance in our favor. Millions of dollars are at stake for programs that support access to healthy food for underserved communities and benefit family farmers.

All the work we have done together on the Farm Bill comes down to what we do before April 18. Please call your legislators today with the message that CFP needs $10 million a year in mandatory funding.

• For Democratic legislators: ask your Senators to contact Chairman Harkin and your Representative to contact Chairman Peterson with this message.
• For Republican legislators: ask your Senators to contact Sen. Chambliss and your Representative to contact Rep. Goodlatte.

Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to reach your legislators. Ask for the staff person who deals with Farm Bill issues. (For more details, see the CFSC's full alert.)

March 12, 2008

Spring Crocuses and Carrot Seeds

Good news from the garden as the snow starts to thaw!

The Associated Press reports that it looks like home vegetable gardens will be booming this year Although the 2008 planting season is still largely in the planning stages, it appears vegetable seed sales are already up. Barb Melera, president of D. Landreth Seed Co., reports that seed sales at a show in Atlanta were three to four times greater than last year. She says, "This is the first time I've ever heard people say 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm." Read more.

Also, a new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior proves once again that gardening is good for you! The study of over 700 adults in Flint, Michigan, finds that "Adults with a household member who participated in a community garden consumed fruits and vegetables 1.4 more times per day than those who did not participate, and they were 3.5 times more likely to consume fruits and vegetables at least 5 times daily," and concludes that "Household participation in a community garden may improve fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults." Read the study here.

Learn more about community gardens -- and go start planting!

March 5, 2008

Final Steps Toward New 2007 Farm Bill?

The House and Senate finally seem to be nearing a final compromise on the Farm Bill. As competing proposals emerge, we need to ensure that the final legislation includes priorities for a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable farm and food system. You can send a simple message to your Representative and two Senators today clicking here.

Read more on the current status of the Farm Bill from the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and in a lively article from last week on Grist.

February 18, 2008

Stop the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement!

Groups concerned about the consistent negative impact free trade agreements have on agriculture, industry, and the environment have prevented a vote in Congress on a proposed U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA) since early 2007. Now, President Bush is threatening to bypass law-making procedures to force a vote without approval from Congressional leadership.

If passed, the U.S.-Colombia FTA will:

• Undermine human rights and fuel conflict. Currently over 3.8 million Colombians are displaced from their land, in large part due to ongoing civil war. The FTA will deepen the economic disparity that has caused the conflict.
• Destroy small farmers. The Colombian Ministry of Agriculture estimates that if tariffs on agricultural imports from the U.S. are limited, farmers' income will drop by more than half. This has already happened in Mexico, where the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) displaced 1.3 million farmers.
• Hinder access to life-saving medicines. The agreement contains NAFTA-style provisions that undermine rights and access to affordable medicines. It will further exacerbate a failed Colombian health system that only reaches 10 percent of Afro-Colombians.

Take Action!

Call your members of Congress this week, while they are home for Presidents' Day recess and ask them to take a public position against the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your members of Congress. For talking points, see the American Friends Service Committee.

February 15, 2008

Action Needed to Restore Community Food Projects Program!

Important news from the Community Food Security Coalition:

The USDA has halted this year's competition for Community Food Project (CFP) grants because of uncertainties about the program's future funding in the Farm Bill. Prior to this recent suspension, over 460 letters of intent had been submitted.

The House version of the Farm Bill provided discretionary - not mandatory - funding, which means that the program must be funded every year through the appropriations process. The Senate version restored mandatory funding at $10 million annually for years 2008-2012 (double what it received previously).

However, the fiscal year 2008 federal appropriations bill included no money for the program. USDA decided to halt considerations for 2008 grants because if the House funding prevails in conference or if a new Farm Bill is not passed, CFP will not be funded in 2008.

Your advocacy is critical to restore this decade-long enormously successful program. Millions of dollars are at stake for programs that support access to healthy food for underserved communities and benefit family farmers.

You can help! Click here to take action.

Read about some of the inspiring community food projects around the country.

For more on the status of the Farm Bill, click here.

January 9, 2008

Take Action against the Spread of Industrial Agrofuel Production

A coalition of groups headed up by Rainforest Action Network is calling for a moratorium on U.S. incentives for agrofuels and agroenergy from large-scale monocultures and a moratorium on global trade of such agrofuels. Join WHY and many others in taking a stand against the industrial-scale production of fuel from crops, which is spreading hunger and food insecurity while undermining workers' rights, environmental conservation, and community economic development.

Take Action!

To read the call for a moratorium and to sign on, see http://ga3.org/campaign/agrofuelsmoratorium. For further information on the problems of agrofuel production and on community-based alternatives, see the new publication co-produced by WHY, Fueling Disaster: A Community Food Security Perspective on Agrofuels.

 

January 9, 2008

Tell USDA What "Naturally-Raised" Means!

In November, the USDA released its proposal for a "naturally-raised" livestock and meat label. A strong "naturally-raised" label could go a long way toward supporting farmers who are using sustainable methods to produce livestock products and help consumers who want an assurance that they are supporting sustainable production methods.

Unfortunately, the proposed standards focus exclusively on the use of drugs and growth hormones, including nothing about access to pasture or how animals are housed (e.g., without use of cages or crates). Where and how animals are raised are critical issues to farmers and consumers and need to be addressed in the final standards.

We support labels that are easy for consumers to interpret and easy for producers to use to accurately communicate production methods. However, should USDA's draft proposal for a vague and non-comprehensive "naturally-raised" claim proceed, consumers will be confused and consumer confidence in all USDA verified or certified labels would no doubt decline.

Make your voice heard! Public input has had a significant impact on previous labeling rules, including strengthening "organic" and "grass fed" standards. Go to theLand Stewardship Project for all the details on how to submit a comment during the public comment period through January 28, 2008.

December 18, 2007

Coalition of Immokalee Workers Targets Burger King

Farmworkers who toil to pick tomatoes for Burger King's sandwiches earn 40 to 50 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick. At that rate, a worker would have to pick 2.5 tons of tomatoes just to earn minimum wage for a typical 10-hour day.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has led successful campaigns for farmworker justice against fast food giants like McDonald's and Taco Bell, who have agreed to pay an extra penny per pound for tomatoes. This holiday season, Burger King is working to undermine those chains' agreements with the CIW. As a result, tomato pickers in Florida are facing the prospect of losing the first significant raise some of them have seen in nearly 30 years.

Support worker rights! Send a letter to Burger King executives demanding a fair wage for tomato pickers in their supply-chain.

Learn more:

 

• Penny Foolish by Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation), New York Times, 11/29/07
• Complete coverage of the CIW campaign.
• Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a 2006 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award winner; click here to read a WHY profile.
• Food Security Learning Center topic on migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

December 12, 2007

Senate Takes Up Farm Bill Debate

Farm Bill Update from the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC):

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, with each political party allowed to propose 20. Voting began yesterday, and debate will continue this week. Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) has said that 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.

Now is a critical time to call your Senators. Urge them to:

• Pass a Farm Bill with the strongest possible nutrition title, with support for additional investments in the Food Stamp Program. See the Food Research and Action Center for more information.
• Support amendments to help small farmers, rural development, and conservation (particularly the Dorgan-Grassley Payment Limits Amendment).
• Include priorities for healthy food and communities (including increased mandatory funding Community Food Projects, flexibility for geographic preference in school food purchases, and infrastructure for local food systems).

See the CFSC policy update for more information or talking points. To reach your Senators, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask for the staff person who deals with Farm Bill issues, and don't forget to say you're a constituent!

December 7, 2007

U.S. - Peru Free Trade Agreement Approved...Next Target?

On Tuesday December 4th, the United States Senate passed the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement, formally known as the U.S. - Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, by a margin of 77-18. The agreement will go into effect as soon as both countries modify their laws to abide by the treaty.

This past summer, 4 million Peruvian farmers and workers protested the pact, because it will displace farmers and rural communities in Peru due to the flood of subsidized U.S. food imports that will occur under the new agreement. In the United States there was also widespread opposition to the agreement, including from food security organizations, environmental protection, and labor rights groups.

The United States Congress is expected to vote on three other free trade agreements in early 2008 with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, each with similar widespread negative consequences for food security, local farmers, labor rights, and environmental protection. Stay tuned for future updates and alerts.

December 3, 2007

URGENT: Tell Your Senator to Vote NO for the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement

Tomorrow the US Senate will decide on whether to approve the proposed US-Peru Free Trade agreement. If passed, the agreement will have wide-ranging negative consequences for food sovereignty and the livelihoods of Peruvian farmers. It will also decrease access to affordable water supplies and generic medicines; jeopardize labor rights; and undermine environmental protection and safeguards.

The approval of this trade agreement would be particularly disastrous for Peru's small-scale farmers who grow food for their local communities, as they will be forced into competition with subsidized agricultural imports that are below the cost of production. After the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was passed in 1994, over 1.5 million Mexican farmers were forced to abandon their plots due to unfair competition with American corn producers.

After voting on Peru tomorrow, the US Congress will vote on free trade agreements with Panama, South Korea, and Colombia. These trade agreements do not improve the lives of the majority of the citizens of the countries that the U.S. signs agreements with. (Food First)

Take Action NOW!

** Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your senator (or tell them where you live to get routed to your senator).
** Ask for their staff person who is in charge of trade issues.
**Tell that person that you urge the Senator to oppose the Peru NAFTA expansion. If you have a personal story, this will make the point more clearly.

For further info and talking points, see Citizens Trade Campaign.

November 19, 2007

Farm Bill Stalled for Now

On Friday morning, the Senate failed to pass a motion to force debate and a vote on the Farm Bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid forced a cloture vote on the bill Friday. Cloture is a procedural measure to force a vote, allowing 30 hours for debate and excluding non-relevant amendments from consideration. While the cloture vote failed, stalling the Farm Bill fight for the time being, it is possible that another attempt is made after the Thanksgiving recess to work on it again. This gives us, as constituents, more time to make our voices heard! To find out how your Senators voted on cloture, click here. A yes vote means they wanted to consider relevant amendments to the Farm Bill immediately.

Keep up-to-date on the progress of the Farm Bill with the Community Food Security Coalition policy updates. Read more about the Farm Bill on the Farm Bill page.

Take action!

During the Thanksgiving recess, call your Senators' local offices and encourage them to move forward with consideration of the Farm Bill, with full and fair consideration of relevant amendments. Or, if your Senators will be in your area, you can tell them in person! For their contact information, click here.

November 8, 2007

Update on US-Peru Free Trade Agreement

The House approved the US-Peru trade deal 285-132, with 116 Democrats voting against the deal despite its endorsement by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and other Democratic leaders. Those voting yes included 109 Democrats, and eight Democrats did not vote. The deal is now pending approval by the Senate, which is likely. For further information, click here. To learn more about the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement and how to take action against the passage of this agreement and others like it, visit the Alliance for Responsible Trade.

November 6, 2007

Senate Farm Bill Debate Begins

The Senate is finally moving on the Farm Bill, with opening statements beginning today and debates likely continuing on and off for the next two weeks.

A late development that brings good news for Community Food Projects (CFP) is that the Dorgan-Grassley Payment Limitations Amendment saves $1.15 billion over 5 years -- $50 million of that could be used to fund Community Food Projects from 2012-2017. Ensuring CFP funding at the beginning of the 2012 Farm Bill is a critical step towards making it a permanent program. Read more about this and all the latest on the Farm Bill from the Community Food Security Coalition.

This vote could come as early as Wednesday, so please call your Senators TODAY and ask them to vote FOR the Dorgan-Grassley Amendment. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 to be connected to your Senators' offices.

Finally, these two excellent articles do a great job at illuminating the current state of the Farm Bill:

• New York Times Magazine, Weed It and Reap, by Michael Pollan
• Time, Why Our Farm Policy Is Failing, by Michael Grunwald

October 30, 2007

Week of Action against Free Trade Agreements

Stop Congress from passing the unpopular and undemocratic expansion of NAFTA called the Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA)! WHY, together with the Alliance for Responsible Trade and other partners, calls on its friends and allies to take action this week. A vote in Congress is expected either late this week or sometime next week.

In spite of the widespread opposition demonstrated at the polls last year to expanding this model, key Democrats including Representatives Pelosi, Rangel and Levin have yet again betrayed the will of the electorate. Anxious to appease corporate funders, they are siding with the Bush Administration to push this agreement which will further devastate workers and poor farmers in both countries. We must send them a clear message that their future in Congress depends on pleasing us- not ADM, Cargill, Monsanto, Dow and the pharmaceutical companies.

This weekend, the corporate Democrats' strategy for a quiet passage of the Peru FTA was complicated by Senator Edwards declaration of his opposition to all four of the pending FTAs with Peru, Panama, Colombia and South Korea. Click here to read his statement. We must take full advantage of this unexpected opening and expose all members of Congress who plan to vote for this NAFTA expansion

You can be a part of a nationwide effort to stop this from passing, but you must act quickly. We ask you to:

• Call the office of your representative and ask them to oppose the Peru FTA. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask to be connected to your House or Senate Member (give your state and zip code if you're not sure). For a script and more information on calling, click here to visit the ART web site.
• Organize a creative action in the home office of your representative, especially if it appears they will vote in favor of the FTA. Several groups have done actions or have them planned. These links below will help stimulate creative thinking about what might work in your district:
  Here is one group's suggestion of things you may consider.
  Here is an example of what one group in New York did recently.

 

We are encouraging groups to sign on to our National Call to Action, and let us know if you have done or are planning an action. To do either of these, send an email to Tom Loudon at:art-list@quixote.org. WHY is among the organizations which have signed the National Call to Action to date.

Thank you for your support! We will put Congress on notice that we are watching as they choose between corporate profits and the interests of workers and the environment.

 

October 30, 2007

Farm Bill in Senate

The Senate Agriculture Committee met last week to debate the draft of the Farm Bill. The Community Food Security Coalition has a rundown of the draft bill here.

This is the first step in the Senate process; the draft will be considered by the full Senate as early as next week. Many of the provisions in the current Senate bill are not in the House bill, so it is still possible that good provisions will be taken out when the House and Senate bills come together. Read more at the Food Security Learning Center Farm Bill page, previous News & Alerts, and the Community Food Security Coalition. Continuing to remind legislators of your Farm Bill priorities will help keep your values off the chopping block and in the Farm Bill!

Take action with our allies here:

• Food Research and Action Center: Food Stamp and Emergency Food Aid at Stake
• Center for Rural Affairs: Act Today for Farm Bill Reform
• Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Sustainable Agriculture Priorities

 

October 19, 2007

Farm Bill and Farm to School

The Farm Bill is inching forward, with the Senate Agriculture Committee debate now scheduled for October 24. Click here for the latest.

This week, meanwhile, has seen a flurry of articles about farm to school programs in cafeterias across the country. From New York to Seattle, school districts trying to get local produce into their cafeterias are faced with major hurdles, including lack of cooking or distribution infrastructure and federal agricultural policy.

A critical no-cost provision in the Farm Bill would clear one of these hurdles, by allowing school districts to give preference to locally produced foods. Right now, schools are required to select food service providers exclusively based on the lowest bid.

• New York Times, Local Carrots with a Side of Red Tape.
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Farm Fresh, but at School - Kids Get a Taste of Locally Grown Produce .
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Many Barriers Keep Fresh, Organic Food Out Of School Lunches.

For further reading and resources, see the Farm to Cafeteria topic of the Food Security Learning Center.

October 16, 2007

Farm Bill Update

According to the Community Food Security Coalition, it has been a bit quieter than usual in Washington DC, without much movement on the Farm Bill front, since Congress has been on recess for the Columbus Day holiday. The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to meet to go over Chairman Harkins' proposed Farm Bill the week of October 22, but no specific date has been set. In the meantime, there are a number of important actions groups and individuals can take.

Take Action!

Thank the Senators who support healthy food initiatives such as Community Food Projects and the Healthy Food Enterprise Development Program!

Continue to support mandatory funding of Community Food Projects (CFP) in the 2007 Farm Bill!
Community Food Project funding has made great progress toward healthy, sustainable food systems in communities around the country, and it's up to us to ensure that this successful program continues. If you have not yet contacted your Senators to ask for their support of mandatory funding for Community Food Projects, now is the time. Find your Senators' contact information here. If you've already called, please ask your friends and colleagues.

Stay up-to-date with the Community Food Security Coalition and the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.

Also see the latest Farm Bill Update from the National Family Farm Coalition and check out a new article by George Naylor on the dire need for a strategic grain reserve to be included in the new Farm Bill.

 

October 8, 2007

Tell Congress to Oppose the US-Peru Free Trade Agreemenent

On September 21st, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee voted 18-3 to approve the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement. On September 25th, the House Committee on Ways and Means also approved support for the agreement. The proposed agreement now awaits final votes in both the Senate and the House. If passed, the agreement will have wide- ranging negative consequences for food sovereignty and the livelihoods of Peruvian farmers. It will also decrease access to affordable water supplies and generic medicines; jeopardize labor rights; and undermine environmental protection and safeguards.

The approval of this trade agreement would be particularly disastrous for Peru's small-scale farmers who grow food for their local communities, as they will be forced into competition with subsidized agricultural imports that are below the cost of production. After the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was passed in 1994, over 1.5 million Mexican farmers were forced to abandon their plots due to unfair competition with American corn producers. Similarly, Peru's nearly 850,000 agricultural workers will be threatened by the increase in agribusiness imports.

Small-scale farmers are the vanguards for protecting food security, biodiversity, traditional growing practices, and environmental stewardship. In addition, they provide healthy, nutritious, and fresh produce to their communities. Among many things, this deal threatens the sovereignty of the people of Peru.

Take Action!

Tell your congressional representatives to vote NO to the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement by clicking any link below:
Church World Service - Peace & Justice
American Friends Service Committee - Trade Matters
Alliance For Responsible Trade

October 2, 2007

October Farm Bill Update

Farm Bill news from the Community Food Security Coalition :
Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) has announced that he intends the Agriculture Committee to debate a draft Farm Bill before Congress begins its Columbus Day recess on Oct. 8. In the meantime, Congress is expected to pass a resolution to extend the present 2002 Farm Bill for one month because the current bill expired with the end of the fiscal year on Sept 30. There is a chance that instead of voting on a new Farm Bill this year, Congress could decide to simply extend the present bill for another year. Harkin said he is not "unalterably opposed to extending the 2002 Farm Bill," but expressed that he would rather pass a new bill.

Continue to support mandatory funding of Community Food Projects (CFP) in the 2007 Farm Bill!
Community Food Project funding has made great progress toward healthy, sustainable food systems in communities around the country, and it's up to us to ensure that this successful program continues. If you have not yet contacted your Senators to ask for their support of mandatory funding for Community Food Projects, now is the time. Find your Senators' contact information here. If you've already called, please ask your friends and colleagues.

Stay up-to-date with the Community Food Security Coalition and the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.

 

August 15, 2007

August Farm Bill Update

An update from our partner, the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC):
Thank you to everyone who took action to support healthy food and communities during the House Farm Bill process! The "Farm, Nutrition and Energy Act of 2007" (H.R. 2419), also known as the Farm Bill, passed the House on July 27. Although we did not achieve all we had hoped for out of the House bill, there were some important wins for healthy food enterprise development, local food procurement by schools, food stamp nutrition education, and farmers' markets. For details, see the CFSC.

Unfortunately, funding for the Community Food Project (CFP) Competitive Grant Program remains discretionary at $30 million, which means we would need to fight for the program to be funded in the federal budget every year. For the last 10 years, the program has had mandatory funding. The CFP program has helped communities around the country increase their food security through innovative partnerships and projects. Read about them at the Learning Center CFP database.

The key next step is to get CFP mandatory funding into the Senate's initial draft of the Farm Bill. Call both of your Senators now and ask them to fund CFP as close to $30 million in mandatory money as they can. (Find your Senators' contact information at the Capital Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or here.) ALL senators are important, but Senators on the Agriculture Committee especially need to hear from you, because they will be writing the initial draft of the Senate Farm Bill. (list of Agriculture Committee members)

For talking points and more action, see the Community Food Security Coalition. For more on the Farm Bill, see the Food Security Learning Center farm bill page.

 

July 24, 2007

Action Needed to Save Community Food Projects!

For 10 years, CFP grants have funded innovative, community-based partnerships to alleviate hunger and build community food security. You can read profiles of many of the 240 grantees at the Food Security Learning Center's CFP Database. In the past, the program has received $5 million annually in mandatory funding, meaning that we didn't have to fight for funding every year.

However, in the House Agriculture Committee version of the farm bill, Community Food Projects is ZEROED OUT! The Committee increased funds for CFP to $30 million, but the money is discretionary, meaning that it's possible CFP gets nothing at all when it comes time to dole out the money each year. There is no money in the appropriations bill for FY '08, so if the change to discretionary stands, there will be no money for CFP in 2008.

Call your Representative NOW to help save this critical program!

Speaker Pelosi and Charles Rangel (D-NY), Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, are at the helm of brokering any deals for new nutrition money for the Farm Bill. It is important that they recognize the importance of the Community Food Project program and that it must retain its mandatory funding status. Please call your Representative and ask his/her office to continue pushing Rangel's and Pelosi's offices for MANDATORY funding for Community Food Projects in the Farm Bill.

To reach your Representative, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. These quick phone calls will take less than 10 minutes, but could make a huge impact on whether this program continues.

For more, see the Community Food Security Coalition.

 

June 26, 2007

 

Tell Your Member of Congress: Support Community Food Projects!

Here is an action alert we have received from the Community Food Security Coalition:

The Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grants Program was reauthorized last week at $30 million per year mandatory funding in the Farm Bill. For 10 years, CFP grants have funded innovative, community-based partnerships to alleviate hunger and build community food security. You can read profiles of many of the 240 grantees at the Food Security Learning Center CFP Database. The program currently receives $5 million, in funding which must be renewed every year-an increase and mandatory funding would allow many more of these effective, community-based projects to be developed for years to come.

During the July 4 recess, Members of Congress will be in their home districts, and there may be opportunities for you to meet with them or their staff personally. CONTACT your Congresspeople to encourage their support for CONTINUED MANDATORY FUNDING for Community Food Projects and an increase of current funding levels to $30 million. Your Congressperson NEEDS to hear from YOU.

For contact info, go to congress.org or call the Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.2131.

For more information, see the Community Food Security Coalition.

 

June 22, 2007

 

Farm Bill Update: Nutrition Title Moving Forward

On June 14, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry marked-up the Nutrition Title of the Farm Bill, which includes the Food Stamp Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, Community Food Projects and several other critical priorities for addressing hunger and building local community food security.

For more on these and other provisions, go to the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, the Food Research and Action Center or the Food Security Learning Center Farm Bill Feature.

Although schedules frequently change in Congress, here is the CFSC's latest information on the timeline for the Farm Bill:

• June 26-28: House: Full Agriculture Committee meets to continue negotiations
• Week of July 9: Senate Full Agriculture Committee meets (very tentatively)
• Week of July 23: Scheduled Farm Bill debate on the House Floor

 

Please call your Representative and tell them to support increased funding for CFP, language that strengthens the ability of schools to purchase from local farmers, the Healthy Food Enterprise Development Program, and urban agriculture. It's important for your Representative to hear from you about these programs to support access to healthy food and strengthen local food systems, whether they're on the Agriculture Committee or not.

Contact your Legislator: call the Congressional Switchboard at 202.224.3121.

June 5, 2007

A Food and Farm Bill of Rights

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) is the lead sponsor of the Local Food and Farm Support Act (HR 2364), a marker bill on the 2007 Farm Bill. The bill has the support of the Community Food Security Coalition, the American Public Health Association, the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and other WHY partners.

In a new op-ed, Congressman Blumenauer talks about his efforts to promote a Food and Farm Bill of Rights.

A Food and Farm Bill of Rights
...Most fundamentally, [the Farm Bill] affects everybody who eats -- in terms of their health, their pocketbook, and their quality of life. Children who are hungry are less healthy and perform poorly in school. Hardworking families struggling to put food on the table aren't able to enjoy the stability and security they deserve. In short, it's hard to think of a policy moving its way through Congress that cries out for reform that will have more effect on the political process and on the lives of individual Americans than the Farm Bill. (read more)

Learn more at the Food Security Learning Center feature, Farm Bill: Learn & Take Action.

May 22, 2007

New York State Establishes Council on Food Policy

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer this week announced that he has signed an executive order establishing a New York State Council on Food Policy. The Council will coordinate state agriculture policy and make recommendations on developing food policy to increase the availability of safe, fresh, nutritious and affordable food for all New Yorkers, especially low income residents, senior citizens and children. The Council will look at ways to increase sales of New York agricultural products to New York consumers, with a special emphasis on expanding the consumer market for organic food. Click for the full press release.

Only about a dozen states in the US have any kind of state-level food policy council. For a listing of state and local food policy councils around the country, see theCommunity Food Security Coalition. For more on food policy councils, see the Food Security Learning Center topic.

May 16, 2007

Farm Bill Negotiations Happening Now!

The Farm Bill is about more than farms -- it has implications for everything about the way we eat, and so it affects every one of us. Learn all about this critical legislation here.

Much of the specific language that will end up in the 2007 Farm Bill is being negotiated right now in the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. This happens in the form of "marker bills" sponsored by Representatives and Senators. These are not meant to be passed as legislation, but instead are a way to articulate and show support for certain priorities in the Farm Bill. Marker bills influence the legislation ultimately crafted by the Agriculture Committees. To learn more about the process of marker bills, see Slow Food USA. The Farm and Food Policy Project has developed charts showing how some of the marker bills address the important aspects of the Seeking Balance policy statement on the Farm Bill.

Take Action!

Now is the time to tell Congress that you want a Farm Bill that supports healthy, fresh, local food! Here are some suggestions for how to get involved.

• Sign the Farm and Food Policy Project petition. For every 500 signatures, FFPP will deliver a package of healthy local food to the office of a Member of Congress.
• Be a Farm Bill Hero! Sign-up to receive action alerts from the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.
• Contact the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) to get involved with their alternative farm bill proposal, the Food from Family Farms Act. NFFC is pushing for real reform on the commodities title of the Farm Bill to ensure fair prices for small farmers.
• Find many more actions to take at the FSLC Resources for Action and the Om Organics 2007 Farm and Food Bill Action Guide.

 

May 8, 2007

Keeping Consumers in the Dark
George Naylor, president of the National Family Farm Coalition and advisor to the Food Security Learning Center, recently shared an article, "Keeping Consumers in the Dark," from the Peoria Journal Star with us.

Naylor writes in an e-mail,
"This piece connects some important dots and helps demonstrate how crazy the globalization of the food supply is. The melamine-laden gluten could be in food or feed in almost any country in the world. It makes the most sense for livestock to be raised on family farms where the feed is produced and the manure recycled."

Keeping Consumers in the Dark
Alan Guebert, Peoria Journal Star, May 1, 2007

If you could save $1,000 on the purchase of a new car or truck because it did not have a shatterproof windshield and side glass, would you cut the deal?

Of course not; the safety of you and your family is priceless. Yet many ag businesses, farm groups and the federal government put a price on what you eat every day by promoting, lobbying and enacting food standards that do more to ensure their profits and your ignorance than provide public information and public safety. (read more)

May 1, 2007

Coalition of Immokalee Workers reaches agreement with McDonald's to raise farmworker wages!
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and McDonald's USA, working with McDonald's produce suppliers, announced plans last month to work together to address wages and working conditions for the farmworkers who pick Florida tomatoes. The agreement guarantees:

• A penny more per pound to workers harvesting tomatoes for McDonald's;
• A stronger code of conduct based on the principle of worker participation;
• A collaborative effort to develop a third party mechanism for monitoring conditions in the fields and investigating workers' complaints of abuse.

Read the press release.

 

Following on this victory and a landmark 2005 agreement with Taco Bell's parent company, YUM Brands, CIW has launched a Burger King campaign.
CIW is a 2006 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award winner; click here to read a WHY profile.
Learn more about migrant and seasonal farmworkers.