Washington D.C. (July 30, 2007) - The National Family Farm Coalition is greatly disappointed by the Farm Bill as passed by the House of Representatives. The House bill is simply a continuation of a failed policy that has left us with fewer family farmers and more consolidation of our food supply into a handful of companies hands. NFFC President George Naylor said, "I urge the Senate to produce a Farm Bill that will benefit family farmers by giving them a fair price for what they produce, instead of continuing with ineffective subsidies that have failed rural America."

Unlike many other farm and commodity groups, NFFC never endorsed the 2002 Farm Bill and its costly reliance on taxpayer subsidies. While we are glad that misguided reform efforts that sought to completely dismantle our farm programs failed to pass, we believe vital change is needed to establish price fairness for farmers and to save taxpayers money. NFFC believes a middle ground can be found in supporting policies that would reinstate strategic grain reserves to stabilize volatile crop prices, and would reduce controversial government subsidies by replacing the current loan deficiency payment with a price floor that would provide farmers with a safety net in the marketplace.

NFFC acknowledges the House bill on several positive improvements for family farmers:

- $15 million annually in mandatory money for Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers
- Country-of-Origin Labeling for meat and fresh produce to be implemented in September 2008 and delinked from mandatory animal identification
- Geographical preference for local food purchases
- $25 million annually in mandatory funding for Farmers Marketing Assistance Program

NFFC expressed regret that the House Farm Bill:

- Failed to reform the commodity title away from a taxpayer subsidy system to one that allows farmers to derive a livable income from the marketplace with a real price floor system, and protects our society with food security reserves
- Lacked any comprehensive competition reforms in the livestock industry, except for the one watered-down arbitration contract reform
- Provided no mandatory funding for Community Food Projects
- Stripped the voluntary arbitration provision for contract farmers. This provision passed the House Subcommittee, but was replaced by much weaker language at Full Committee
- Included the forward contracting program for dairy producers. NFFC strongly opposes forward contracting and believes it will only harm America's dairy farmers by allowing them to be paid below the FMMO price
- Expanded EQIP funding at the expense of Conservation Security Program (CSP) and allowing more factory farms to qualify

"Right now corn prices are sinking back below the cost of production, yet we are one drought away from possibly seeing $8 corn prices with no contingency plans in place due to the lack of reserves," Executive Director Katherine Ozer said. We urge the Senate to take more seriously than the House the proposals endorsed by NFFC and over 35 organizations in a letter that outlined real substantive reform of our commodity title that will help family farmers."