tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/2018-farm-bill-37513/articles2018 Farm Bill – The Conversation2023-02-09T13:35:20Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1869012023-02-09T13:35:20Z2023-02-09T13:35:20ZCBD is not a cure-all – here’s what science says about its real health benefits<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488378/original/file-20221005-18-19r1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=440%2C26%2C5514%2C3961&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Since 2018, it has been legal in the U.S. to use a drug made from purified cannabis-derived cannabidiol – CBD – to treat certain childhood seizure disorders.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/scientist-checking-cannabis-plants-in-marijuana-royalty-free-image/1298557693?adppopup=true">Visoot Uthairam/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over the last five years, an often forgotten piece of U.S. federal legislation – the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/congressional-testimony/hemp-production-and-2018-farm-bill-07252019">2018 Farm Bill</a> – has ushered in an <a href="https://peoria.medicine.uic.edu/cbd-blog/">explosion of interest</a> in the medical potential of cannabis-derived cannabidiol, or CBD. </p>
<p>After decades of debate, the bill made it legal for farmers to grow industrial hemp, <a href="https://www.nifa.usda.gov/industrial-hemp">a plant rich in CBD</a>. Hemp itself has tremendous value as a cash crop; it’s used to produce biofuel, textiles and animal feed. But the CBD extracted from the hemp plant also has numerous medicinal properties, with <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476#">the potential to benefit millions</a> through the treatment of seizure disorders, pain or anxiety. </p>
<p>Prior to the bill’s passage, the resistance to legalizing hemp was due to its association with marijuana, its biological cousin. Though hemp and marijuana belong to the same species of plant, <em>Cannabis sativa</em>, they each have a unique chemistry, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2045125312457586">with very different characteristics and effects</a>. Marijuana possesses tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-marijuana-produce-its-effects">the chemical that produces the characteristic high</a> that is associated with cannabis. Hemp, on the other hand, is a strain of the cannabis plant that contains virtually no THC, and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/featured-topics/CBD.html#">neither it nor the CBD derived from it</a> can produce a high sensation. </p>
<p><a href="https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/kent-vrana">As a professor and chair</a> of the <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=B7QZGgoAAAAJ&hl=en">department of pharmacology</a> at Penn State, I have been following research developments with CBD closely and have seen some promising evidence for its role in treating a broad range of medical conditions.</p>
<p>While there is growing evidence that CBD can help with certain conditions, caution is needed. Rigorous scientific studies are limited, so it is important that the marketing of CBD products does not get out ahead of the research and of robust evidence.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Before purchasing any CBD products, first discuss it with your doctor and pharmacist.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Unpacking the hype behind CBD</h2>
<p>The primary concern about CBD marketing is that the scientific community is not sure of the best form of CBD to use. CBD can be produced as either a pure compound or a complex mixture of molecules from hemp that constitute <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-oil-benefits">CBD oil</a>. CBD can also be formulated as a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/best-cbd-cream-for-pain#A-quick-look-at-the-best-CBD-creams-for-pain">topical cream or lotion</a>, or as a <a href="https://www.drugs.com/lifestyle/cbd-gummies-health-benefits-3515165/">gummy</a>, <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/best-cbd-capsules#how-to-shop">capsule</a> or <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cbd-oil-vs-tincture#risks">tincture</a>. </p>
<p>Guidance, backed by clinical research, is needed on the best dose and delivery form of CBD for each medical condition. That research is still in progress.</p>
<p>But in the meantime, the siren’s call of the marketplace has sounded and created an environment in which CBD is often <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/even-without-proof-cbd-finding-niche-cure-all-n945516">hyped as a cure-all</a> – an elixir <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/cbd-for-sleep/#">for insomnia</a>, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-anxiety">anxiety</a>, <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cbd-for-chronic-pain-the-science-doesnt-match-the-marketing-2020092321003">neuropathic pain</a>, <a href="https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/cbd-oil-and-cancer--9-things-to-know.h00-159306201.html">cancer</a> and <a href="https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2022/09/06/14/48/As-CBD-Use-Rises-Clinical-Trials-Needed-to-Determine-Safety-Efficacy-in-Heart-Disease-Patients">heart disease</a>. </p>
<p>Sadly, there is precious little rigorous scientific evidence to support many of these claims, and much of the existing research has been performed in animal models. </p>
<p>CBD is simply <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02524-5">not a panacea for all that ails you</a>.</p>
<h2>Childhood seizure disorders</h2>
<p>Here’s one thing that is known: Based on rigorous trials with hundreds of patients, CBD has been shown to be a <a href="https://www.neurocenternj.com/blog/cbd-for-seizures-use-effectiveness-side-effects-and-more/#">proven safe and effective drug for seizure disorders, particularly in children</a>. </p>
<p>In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted regulatory approval for the use of a purified <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-drug-comprised-active-ingredient-derived-marijuana-treat-rare-severe-forms">CBD product sold under the brand name Epidiolex</a> for the treatment of <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/lennox-gastaut-syndrome/">Lennox-Gastaut</a> and <a href="https://dravetfoundation.org/what-is-dravet-syndrome/">Dravet syndromes</a> in children. </p>
<p>These two rare syndromes, appearing early in life, produce large numbers of frequent seizures that are <a href="https://www.neurologylive.com/view/childhood-epilepsies-dravet-and-lennox-gastaut-syndromes">resistant to traditional epilepsy treatments</a>. CBD delivered as an oral solution as Epidiolex, however, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00063">can produce a significant reduction</a> – greater than 25% – in the frequency of seizures in these children, with 5% of the patients becoming seizure-free. </p>
<h2>More than 200 scientific trials</h2>
<p>CBD is what pharmacologists call a promiscuous drug. That means it could be effective for treating a number of medical conditions. In broad strokes, CBD affects more than one process in the body – a <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-medications-affect-more-than-one-target-in-the-body-some-drug-designers-are-embracing-the-side-effects-that-had-been-seen-as-a-drawback-184922">term called polypharmacology</a> – and so could benefit more than one medical condition.</p>
<p>As of early 2023, there are <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=cannabidiol&cntry=US&state=&city=&dist=">202 ongoing or completed scientific trials</a> examining the effectiveness of CBD in humans on such diverse disorders as chronic pain, substance use disorders, anxiety and arthritis. </p>
<p>In particular, CBD appears to be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547742/">an anti-inflammatory agent and analgesic</a>, similar to the functions of aspirin. This means it might be helpful for treating people suffering with inflammatory pain, like arthritis, or headaches and body aches. </p>
<p>CBD also holds potential for use in <a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/chemotherapy.html">cancer therapy</a>, although it has not been approved by the FDA for this purpose. </p>
<p>The potential for CBD in the context of cancer is twofold: </p>
<p>First, there is evidence that it <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11040582">can directly kill cancer cells</a>, enhancing the ability of traditional therapies to treat the disease. This is not to say that CBD will replace those traditional therapies; the data is not that compelling. </p>
<p>Second, because of its ability to reduce pain and perhaps anxiety, the addition of CBD to a treatment plan may <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11040582">reduce side effects</a> and increase the quality of life for people with cancer.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Things to consider before purchasing a CBD product.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>The risks of unregulated CBD</h2>
<p>While prescription CBD is safe when used as directed, other forms of the molecule come with risks. This is especially true for CBD oils. The over-the-counter CBD oil industry <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/cbd-legalization-by-state/">is unregulated and not necessarily safe</a>, in that there are no regulatory requirements for monitoring what is in a product. </p>
<p>What’s more, rigorous science does not support the unsubstantiated marketing claims made by many CBD products. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000489287">2018 commentary</a>, the author describes the results of his own study, which was published in Dutch (in 2017). His team obtained samples of CBD products from patients <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321679450_Grote_variatie_in_samenstelling_cannabisolie_noopt_tot_regels">and analyzed their content</a>. Virtually none of the 21 samples contained the advertised quantity of CBD; indeed, 13 had little to no CBD at all and many contained significant levels of THC, the compound in marijuana that leads to a high – and that was not supposed to have been present. </p>
<p>In fact, studies have shown that there is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-dietary-supplement-youre-taking-could-be-tainted-with-prescription-medications-and-dangerous-hidden-ingredients-according-to-a-new-study-181418">little control of the contaminants that may be present</a> in over-the-counter products. The FDA has <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/warning-letters-and-test-results-cannabidiol-related-products">issued scores of warning letters</a> to companies that market unapproved drugs containing CBD. In spite of the marketing of CBD oils as all-natural, plant-derived products, consumers should be aware of the risks of unknown compounds in their products or unintended interactions with their prescription drugs. </p>
<p>Regulatory guidelines for CBD <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2023/02/03/fda-right-agency-regulate-cbd-products-but-it-needs-help/">are sorely lacking</a>. Most recently, in January 2023, the FDA concluded that the existing framework is “not appropriate for CBD” and said it would work with Congress to chart a way forward. In a statement, the agency said that “<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-concludes-existing-regulatory-frameworks-foods-and-supplements-are-not-appropriate-cannabidiol">a new regulatory pathway for CBD is needed</a> that balances individuals’ desire for access to CBD products with the regulatory oversight needed to manage risks.” </p>
<p>As a natural product, CBD is still acting as a drug – much like aspirin, acetaminophen or even a cancer chemotherapy. Health care providers simply need to better understand the risks or benefits.</p>
<p>CBD may <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cbd-and-other-medications-proceed-with-caution-2021011121743#">interact with the body in ways that are unintended</a>. CBD is eliminated from the body by the same liver enzymes that remove a variety of drugs such as blood thinners, antidepressants and organ transplant drugs. Adding CBD oil to your medication list without consulting a physician could be risky and could interfere with prescription medications. </p>
<p>In an effort to help prevent these unwanted interactions, my colleague Dr. Paul Kocis, a clinical pharmacist, and I have created a free online application called the <a href="https://cann-dir.psu.edu/">CANNabinoid Drug Interaction Resource</a>. It identifies how CBD could potentially interact with other prescription medications. And we urge all people to disclose both over-the-counter CBD or recreational or medical marijuana use to their health care providers to prevent undesirable drug interactions.</p>
<p>In the end, I believe that CBD will prove to have a <a href="https://theconversation.com/nature-is-the-worlds-original-pharmacy-returning-to-medicines-roots-could-help-fill-drug-discovery-gaps-176963">place in people’s medicine cabinets</a> – but not until the medical community has established the right form to take and the right dosage for a given medical condition.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186901/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kent E Vrana receives unrestricted research grant funding from PA Options for Wellness (a Pennsylvania-approved clinical registrant medical marijuana company).
Vrana is the director of the Pennsylvania-designated Medical Marijuana Academic Clinical Research Center at Penn State. </span></em></p>CBD isn’t a miracle cure for everything that ails a person – but science shows that it has the potential to help treat a number of health conditions.Kent E Vrana, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/968412018-06-28T10:38:24Z2018-06-28T10:38:24ZCrop insurance is good for farmers, but not always for the environment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224972/original/file-20180626-112634-1vmf35j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Crop insurance is designed to help farmers weather disasters such as Hurricane Irma, which devastated many Florida citrus farms in 2017.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Irma-Florida-Agriculture/ac4b3ceb1cb84f31824b0e57cde8d53f/40/0">AP Photo/Tamara Lush</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Congress is currently working on the <a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/agriculture_and_nutrition_act_of_2018.pdf">2018 farm bill</a>, a massive piece of legislation enacted about every five years. One of its key elements is crop insurance, which helps protect farmer income in times of volatile production – for example, when crops are damaged by droughts or floods. </p>
<p>Crop insurance pays farmers who raise major commodities, such as wheat and corn, when crop yields or revenues drop below certain levels. On average, the federal government <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40532.pdf">pays 62 percent</a> of farmers’ crop insurance premiums. </p>
<p>We work together on a <a href="https://igpa.uillinois.edu/policy-initiatives/climate-policy">climate policy initiative</a> at the University of Illinois from different perspectives that include <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gVSCDdYAAAAJ&hl=en">economics</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Tpe9XEcAAAAJ&hl=en">finance</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rYsjF0oAAAAJ&hl=en">resource use</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9YB10uQAAAAJ&hl=en">disaster relief</a>. In our research, we have found that crop insurance impacts the environment in ways that are important but often overlooked. </p>
<p>While it plays an important role, studies have shown that crop insurance encourages overuse of resources – particularly water – and makes the agricultural system less resilient in the face of climate change. Instead, future research should find ways to encourage farmers to adapt to a changing climate.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=590&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=590&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224968/original/file-20180626-112598-3ab2le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=590&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Spending on crop insurance has grown, partly because producers are covering more acres and more of their expected yield.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/61891/total-crop-insurance-premiums-and-subsidies.jpg?v=42158">USDA</a></span>
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<h2>Insurance and moral hazard</h2>
<p>Crop insurance is the <a href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/congressional-budget-office-updates-farm-bill-math">second-largest title</a> in the 2018 Farm Bill, after nutrition aid. The Congressional Budget Office has <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/recurringdata/51317-2018-04-usda.pdf">projected spending</a> on proposed crop insurance programs at US$78 billion over the next 10 years, which represents 9 percent of total farm bill funding. </p>
<p>Insurance changes farmers’ incentives, which in turn might change their behavior. When farmers know they will receive an insurance payout if their crop fails, they may take fewer steps to mitigate that risk, or choose to grow riskier crops. Here are some theoretical examples.</p>
<p>First, being insured should discourage farmers from irrigating their crops as much as they otherwise would. Watering is costly, and the potential for insurance payouts in the event of crop failure reduces the expected benefits of watering. </p>
<p>Insurance companies know this, so policies typically require farmers to demonstrate that they have <a href="https://www.rma.usda.gov/help/faq/ksirrigated.html">irrigated a “normal” quantity of water</a> in order to receive payouts. Paradoxically, this approach can encourage farmers to <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2012/03/28/texas-farmers-watered-crops-knowing-they-wouldnt-g/">use water just to qualify for crop insurance</a>.</p>
<p>Holding insurance could also impact water use by influencing farmers’ choices of what to plant. Since insurance reduces the cost of failure, it may lead farmers to plant crops with highly variable payouts. If yields are high, farmers reap the benefit; if they are low, farmers don’t bear all of the costs. And if the “risky” crops are more water-intensive, then water use increases. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224974/original/file-20180626-112623-15ykfgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rice farms in California (shown: Yuba) depend on off-farm surface water supplies, so they are more vulnerable during droughts than less water-dependent crops.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/fGQ8vf">Bob White</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<h2>Mixed impacts</h2>
<p>Indeed, as two of us have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.03.013">shown</a>, crop insurance does lead to more irrigation and therefore more water use. One reason is that it leads farmers to grow more water-intensive crops, such as cotton. This response is particularly pronounced across the U.S. South, where farmers have tapped groundwater supplies to irrigate cotton.</p>
<p>Using more water is not a problem if it is consistent with choices farmers would make in well-functioning markets where risk was absent. For example, if some farmers were not growing cotton simply because it was too risky and the price of water reflected its local scarcity, then reducing farming risk by offering crop insurance would benefit society.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there is a general consensus that agricultural water in many locations is underpriced, which makes increases in water use problematic, especially in water-scarce locations. Farmers already use too much water due to its underpricing, so any additional policies that lead to more water use would compound this market failure.</p>
<p>Crop insurance could also impel farmers to shift to new crops that are nutrient-intensive, which would increase fertilizer use. More nutrient applications lead to more nutrients washing into rivers and streams. Every year, nutrient runoff from Midwest farms <a href="https://theconversation.com/nutrient-pollution-voluntary-steps-are-failing-to-shrink-algae-blooms-and-dead-zones-81249">flows down the Mississippi River</a> into the Gulf of Mexico, creating a massive “dead zone” where fish can no longer thrive due to degraded water quality.</p>
<p>However, a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/687549">2016 study</a> that analyzed this question using farm-level information showed that, in fact, crop insurance did not impact nutrient use. This is good news, since it indicates that crop insurance does not contribute to nutrient runoff in our national waterways. It is not clear why crop insurance increases water use but not fertilizer use, although we suspect the answer is price differences between these inputs.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">An agency explains how crop insurance protects vineyard owners in the northeastern U.S.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Crop insurance and climate resilience</h2>
<p>Still another concern is that farmers with crop insurance might not take enough precautions against extreme weather, since crop losses will be covered. Without insurance, farmers who find that they are no longer able to raise a particular crop at their location might grow something else or move production elsewhere.</p>
<p>To avoid this moral hazard problem, crop insurance is “experience rated,” which means it is more expensive for farms that have experienced large losses in the past. In principle, farmers whose premiums rise after they experience large losses due to extreme weather should take steps such as switching to more resilient crops or shifting to new locations.</p>
<p>However, a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.p20151031">2015 study</a> that examined the impact of crop insurance on corn and soybean farming found that yields in areas with more crop insurance were more sensitive to weather fluctuations. In other words, subsidies for crop insurance appear to create a disincentive for farmers to protect their crops from the consequences of extreme weather events. </p>
<p>This suggests that crop insurance is making our agricultural system less resilient to future changes in the climate than it would otherwise be. Crop insurance also is likely to increase future payouts to farmers – which ultimately are subsidized by taxpayers – in the wake of floods and droughts. For example, the Midwestern corn belt drought of 2012 cost taxpayers <a href="http://harvestpublicmedia.org/post/crop-insurance-different-car-insurance-and-keeps-some-farms-business">$13.4 billion</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224979/original/file-20180626-112644-1y76wh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If climate warming continues on its current path, the annual maximum number of consecutive dry days is projected to increase, especially in the western and southern U.S., negatively affecting agriculture. Increases shown are for 2070-2099 as compared to 1971-2000.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/agriculture">National Climate Assessment 2014</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Questions for the next farm bill</h2>
<p>Neither house of Congress opted to make significant changes to crop insurance in the 2018 farm bill, although some Senators had considered offering amendments to make the largest and wealthiest U.S. growers <a href="https://thefern.org/ag_insider/senate-stands-as-last-chance-for-farm-bill-reformers/?related=true">pay a bigger share of crop insurance premiums</a>. We believe that insurance protects farmers’ livelihoods in times of crop failures, but its less-understood impacts on their decisions about resource use deserve more study. Modifying crop insurance to reduce incentives for unsustainable farming practices could be an effective way to ensure the resilience of our future agricultural system.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96841/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Don Fullerton is affiliated with the University of Illinois' Center for Business and Public Policy and Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Sloan Foundation, and is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julian Reif has received grant funding from J-PAL North America, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan Konar is a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois' Institute of Government and Public Affairs. She has received funding from the Research Board at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the National Science Foundation, and the William J. and Elaine F. Hall Faculty Fellowship.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tatyana Deryugina does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Crop insurance cushions farmers against natural disasters, but it also can lead them to overuse resources and reduce their incentive to adapt to climate change.Don Fullerton, Gutsgell Professor of Finance, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignJulian Reif, Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMegan Konar, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignTatyana Deryugina, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/967782018-05-18T10:41:23Z2018-05-18T10:41:23ZThe GOP’s poor arguments for doubling down on SNAP’s work requirements<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219501/original/file-20180517-26290-15xxk5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More than 40 million Americans rely on SNAP for groceries.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Faster-Food-Stamps/cb234d5d00184abf93214b3e6e7a76a2/1/0">AP Photo/Seth Wenig</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Republicans aim to tighten the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s work requirements as part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-2018-farm-bill-means-for-urban-suburban-and-rural-america-89605">farm bill</a> Congress is debating.</p>
<p>These changes would cut spending on this nutritional benefit for the poor – commonly called SNAP or food stamps – by more than <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/blog/6-takeaways-from-cbo-estimate-of-house-agriculture-committee-snap-proposals">US$17 billion over the next decade</a> and reduce the number of Americans getting these benefits by about 1.2 million.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://umdearborn.edu/users/pksmith">economist who studies nutrition policy</a>, I’m discouraged by continuing pushes to <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/presidents-budget-would-cut-food-assistance-for-millions-and-radically">cut SNAP</a>. By many measures, SNAP is fulfilling its mandate to <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/food-stamp-act-1964-pl-88-525">meet an essential human need</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219481/original/file-20180517-26258-1anakh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A supermarket in Muncie, Ind., that accepts SNAP payments.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/muncie-circa-march-2017-sign-retailer-596629331?src=xlgwiVihi99ykhVMtvqPQA-1-0">Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Some fact-checking</h2>
<p>Under new federal rules that <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/387855-white-house-urges-support-for-house-farm-bill">President Donald Trump says he would sign</a>, SNAP <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2018/05/facts-on-food-stamp-work-requirements/">work requirements would change</a> and be subjected to new layers of scrutiny. Just about all adults between the ages of 18 and 59 would have to work. The states, which administer this federally funded program, would lose their <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/house-farm-bills-snap-changes-are-a-bad-deal-for-states-and-low-income">enforcement discretion</a>, with the rules becoming stricter and less flexible.</p>
<p>To justify these changes, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and other Republicans have long argued that the government wastes money on aiding “<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/24/529831472/trump-wants-families-on-food-stamps-to-get-jobs-the-majority-already-work">able-bodied</a>” people who ought to provide for themselves.</p>
<p>But nearly <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/characteristics-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-households-fiscal-year-2016">two-thirds of SNAP participants</a> are children, elderly or disabled and thus not expected to work. What’s more, 44 percent of Americans who rely on SNAP live in a household with at least some earnings. Furthermore, when able-bodied adults who aren’t caring for a dependent qualify for SNAP benefits, they <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/facts-about-snap">lose them within three months</a> if they aren’t working at least 20 hours a week. The farm bill would raise this federal minimum to 25 hours in 2026, and the states may set a minimum of up to 30 hours.</p>
<p>Research indicates that these <a href="https://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/media/webinars/2015/Dec2-2-2015-Webinar-SNAP.pdf">benefits go where they are intended</a>: to the poor. It’s true that some people get benefits who shouldn’t, and others who should get benefits don’t. But SNAP’s approximately 3 percent “<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/snap-quality-control-error-rates">error rate</a>” is <a href="https://paymentaccuracy.gov/high-priority-programs/">much lower</a> than for Medicaid, Medicare, unemployment insurance and most other big government programs. Losses due to SNAP recipients selling their benefits amount to only about <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/ops/Trafficking2012-2014.pdf">1.5 percent of the program’s total benefits</a>, according to the USDA. </p>
<p>That is why economists generally regard SNAP as an efficient and effective program. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174793/original/file-20170620-29242-4ynrfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">States currently don’t have to fund SNAP, but they cover some of the program’s administrative costs and issue the cards beneficiaries use to redeem benefits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/ebt-cards-several-states">USDA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Encouraging work</h2>
<p>The Trump administration and GOP lawmakers say job requirements <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/saphr2hr_20180515.pdf">make the poor more self-sufficient</a>.</p>
<p>But <a href="http://www.cbpp.org/research/the-relationship-between-snap-and-work-among-low-income-households?fa=view&id=3894">research indicates that SNAP benefits do little to discourage paid work</a>. More than half of the <a href="http://www.cbpp.org/research/the-relationship-between-snap-and-work-among-low-income-households">non-disabled, working-age adults getting these benefits work</a>. Even more – 80 percent – are employed the year before or afterwards.</p>
<p>Besides, SNAP benefits average <a href="http://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-quick-guide-to-snap-eligibility-and-benefits">just $1.40 per meal per person</a>, offering a meager incentive to remain unemployed.</p>
<h2>The economics</h2>
<p>The program currently <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/policy-basics-the-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap">costs around $70 billion</a> a year, <a href="http://econofact.org/welfare-and-the-federal-budget">around 2 percent of the federal budget</a>. It helps millions of vulnerable Americans by reducing <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01621459.2012.682828">food insecurity</a> and <a href="https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=24621">economic hardship</a> and solves other problems indirectly.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=84466">food insecurity increases the risk of many ailments</a>. Children who get too little to eat are more likely to have anemia, asthma, cognitive problems and behavioral problems. Food-insecure working-age adults report more hypertension and sleeping problems. Seniors who don’t eat right are more likely to experience depression. Children of pregnant women who get food assistance are less likely to <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20130375">become obese or have hypertension or diabetes</a>.</p>
<p>Low-income Americans who lose SNAP benefits would probably have more health problems, and the harm can be lasting. This bodes badly for low-income Americans’ ability to support themselves.</p>
<p>And since SNAP automatically responds to the business cycle, the program stimulates local and national economies during economic downturns. Each $5 the government spends on <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=44749">SNAP triggers $9 of economic activity</a> and every $1 billion in benefits <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/economic-linkages/">creates roughly 9,000 jobs</a>, economists estimate.</p>
<p>The upshot is that lots of people could soon be spending less on food and thousands of Americans could lose their jobs – mostly in retail and farming. And more Americans will eventually suffer during the next economic downturn.</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of an article <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-trump-teams-poor-arguments-for-slashing-snap-79710">originally published on June 25, 2017</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96778/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patricia Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cutting the program formerly known as food stamps would hurt low-income Americans and the whole economy.Patricia Smith, Professor of Economics, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/824202018-02-14T11:39:10Z2018-02-14T11:39:10ZTrump budget would undo gains from conservation programs on farms and ranches<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206275/original/file-20180213-44660-w2vixx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C0%2C2032%2C1275&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Texas farmer Taylor Wilcox received USDA funding to flood his fallow rice fields, creating habitat for black-necked stilts and other birds.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/q1r72J">USDA</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are starting to shape the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-2018-farm-bill-means-for-urban-suburban-and-rural-america-89605">2018 farm bill</a> – a comprehensive food and agriculture bill passed about every five years. Most observers associate the farm bill with food policy, but its conservation section is the single largest source of funding for soil, water and wildlife conservation on private land in the United States. </p>
<p>Farm bill conservation programs provide about <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44784.pdf">US$5.8 billion</a> yearly for activities such as restoring wildlife habitat and using sustainable farming practices. These programs affect about <a href="https://www.fws.gov/greatersagegrouse/documents/Landowners/2014_Farm_Bill_Guide%20to%20Fish%20and%20Wildlife%20Conservation.pdf">50 million acres of land nationwide</a>. They conserve <a href="http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2017/benefits-of-the-farm-bill/">millions of acres of wildlife habitat</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.04.010">provide ecological services</a> such as improved water quality, erosion control and enhanced soil health that are worth billions of dollars. </p>
<p>Sixty percent of U.S. land is privately owned, and it contains a <a href="http://omnilearn.net/esacourse/pdfs/Rebuilding_the_Ark.pdf">disproportionately high share</a> of habitat for threatened and endangered species. This means that to conserve land and wildlife, it is critical to work with private landowners, particularly farmers and ranchers. Farm bill conservation programs provide cost shares, financial incentives and technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners who voluntarily undertake conservation efforts on their land. </p>
<p>President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/fy19budsum.pdf">2019 budget request</a> would slash funding for farm bill conservation programs by about $13 billion over 10 years, on top of cuts already sustained in the 2014 farm bill. In a recent <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/conl.12394">study</a>, we found that it is highly uncertain whether the benefits these programs have produced will be maintained if they are cut further.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206260/original/file-20180213-44630-gc2b9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jim and DeAnn Sattelberg received Conservation Reserve Program funding to plant ‘filter strips’ that protect water sources on their Michigan farm.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/tRa9Uy">USDA</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Funding cuts and future prospects</h2>
<p>Conservation on private land produces tangible benefits for <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/EPAS/PDF/drumetal2015_crp_prr_final.pdf">wildlife</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.04.010">water quality</a>, <a href="http://amjv.org/documents/1_Full_Report_2014_Farm_Bill_Guide_1.pdf">erosion control</a> and <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1745/pdf/pp1745web.pdf">floodwater storage</a>. The public value of these improvements extends far beyond the boundaries of any individual landowner’s property. </p>
<p>Studies have shown that farmers appreciate the direct benefits they receive from participating in these programs, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0184-8">more productive soil and better hunting and wildlife viewing on their lands</a>. Conservation programs can also provide farmers with an important and stable income source during crop price downturns.</p>
<p>Congress made substantial cuts in farm bill conservation programs in 2014 – the first reductions since the conservation title of the bill was created in 1985. In total, the 2014 farm bill reduced conservation spending by <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44784.pdf">6.4 percent, or about $3.97 billion over 10 years.</a></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206303/original/file-20180213-174977-1szu1m9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/land-and-natural-resources/">USDA/ERS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These cuts reduced the number of farmers who were able to enroll in the programs. For example, the <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/">Conservation Reserve Program</a> pays farmers to take environmentally sensitive land out of agricultural production and convert cropland into ecologically beneficial grasses. In 2016, due to budget cuts, it accepted just <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44784.pdf">22 percent</a> of acres that farmers offered for enrollment. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/csp/">Conservation Stewardship Program</a>, which focuses on working lands in agricultural production, offers farmers financial incentives and technical advice for conservation measures such as cover crops or efficient irrigation systems. In 2015 USDA funded only <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44784.pdf">27 percent</a> of CSP applications. </p>
<p>The Trump administration’s proposed cuts have drawn criticism from <a href="http://www.audubon.org/news/white-house-budget-would-put-americas-birds-chopping-block">conservation groups</a> and <a href="http://civileats.com/2017/03/22/farm-conservation-funding-on-the-chopping-block/">farmers</a>. Meanwhile, these programs appear to have <a href="http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/path-to-2018-farm-bill-conservation/">bipartisan support</a> in Congress. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/rep/press/release/chairman-roberts-reviews-conservation-forestry-farm-bill-priorities-">June 2017 hearing</a>, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I’ve heard repeatedly from farmers and ranchers about the importance of these programs, how they successfully incentivize farmers to take conservation to the next level, and the need for continued federal investment in these critical programs.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/dem/press/release/stabenow-ernst-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-strengthen-conservation-partnerships-in-the-2018-farm-bill">October 2017</a>, Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, introduced a bipartisan bill to strengthen the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which fosters private-public partnerships in regions of high conservation priority. The Trump administration has proposed to eliminate this program, along with the Conservation Stewardship Program. </p>
<p>Funding will be tight for the 2018 farm bill, as USDA has acknowledged. A set of <a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2018-farm-bill-and-legislative-principles.pdf">guiding principles</a> the department released on Jan. 24 pledged to provide “a fiscally responsible Farm Bill that reflects the Administration’s budget goals.” Congress will soon face funding decisions that will have critical implications for conservation outcomes and landowners.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206266/original/file-20180213-44654-1wy8agr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">USDA employees help South Dakota cattle ranchers repair and replace ponds for watering livestock, an initiative of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/d1oMnU">USDA/NRCS South Dakota</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Without funding, fewer farmers will conserve</h2>
<p>Further budget cuts in farm bill conservation programs would undermine environmental protection in multiple ways. Less land and wildlife would be protected, and fewer farmers would be able to enroll in these programs. Moreover, as <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/conl.12394">our study</a> concluded, landowners are unlikely to continue their conservation efforts when payments end.</p>
<p>Federal agencies and environmental organizations generally would like to see owners keep up conservation practices even when they no longer receive federal incentives. We call this phenomenon “persistence.” Designing incentives so that they produce lasting behavior changes is a challenge in many fields, including agricultural conservation.</p>
<p>Our search of relevant scientific publications found very limited research on landowner behavior after incentive program contracts end. What research has been done indicates that persistence is highly variable and often does not occur. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.chesapeakebay.net/channel_files/18626/journal_of_soil_and_water_conservation-2010-jackson-smith-413-23.pdf">Studies</a> have found that after contracts expire, the percentage of landowners who continue conservation management can range from 31 to 85 percent. Persistence also depends on the <a href="http://www.chesapeakebay.net/channel_files/18626/journal_of_soil_and_water_conservation-2010-jackson-smith-413-23.pdf">practices landowners are required to perform</a>. Structural actions like planting trees are more likely to have lasting effects than measures that landowners need to perform frequently and may abandon, such as treating invasive plants with herbicides.</p>
<p>Little is known about why landowners do or do not persist with conservation behaviors after incentive programs end. But we have identified several mechanisms that could support persistence behavior. </p>
<p>As landowners participate in conservation programs, they might develop positive views of conservation. They also may continue to use conservation practices because they want to be perceived as good land stewards. Practices that involve repeated action, such as moving cattle for prescribed grazing, might become habits. Finally, landowners with sufficient financial and technical resources are more likely to persist with conservation behaviors.</p>
<h2>Long-term costs of defunding conservation programs</h2>
<p>Our research shows that it is hard to predict how farmers and ranchers will respond if they are unable to re-enroll in farm bill conservation programs. Some might continue with conservation management, but it is likely that many landowners would resume farming formerly protected land or abandon conservation practices. </p>
<p>To promote conservation more effectively over time, it would make sense to consider farm bill policy changes such as issuing longer-duration contracts and designing post-contract transitions that encourage continued conservation. Further budget cuts will only reduce future conservation on private land, and could undo much of the good that these programs have already achieved.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82420/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Dayer's research program at Virginia Tech receives research funding from USDA Farm Service Agency and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Seth Lutter’s Masters research at Virginia Tech was funded in part by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.</span></em></p>The Agriculture Department provides nearly $6 billion annually for land, water and wildlife conservation on farms. President Trump’s 2019 budget drastically reduces funds for these programs.Ashley Dayer, Assistant Professor of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia TechSeth Lutter, Master's student, Virginia TechLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/896052018-01-17T03:15:39Z2018-01-17T03:15:39ZWhat the 2018 farm bill means for urban, suburban and rural America<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201664/original/file-20180111-101514-1ba1cgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Soybean crop on a family farm near Humboldt, Iowa, 2017.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/YU7wrp">USDA/Preston Keres</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since the turn of the year, Congress and the Trump administration have been haggling over legislative priorities for 2018. Many issues are on the agenda, from health care to infrastructure, but there has been little mention of a key priority: The 2018 farm bill.</p>
<p>This comprehensive food and agriculture legislation is typically enacted every four or five years. When I became U.S. secretary of agriculture in January 2009, I learned quickly that the bill covers much more than farms and farmers. In fact, every farm bill also affects conservation, trade, nutrition, jobs and infrastructure, agricultural research, forestry and energy.</p>
<p>Drafting the farm bill challenges Congress to meet broad needs with limited resources. The new farm bill will be especially constrained by passage of the GOP tax plan, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/gop-tax-plan-doubles-down-on-policies-that-are-crushing-the-middle-class-89047">sharply reduces taxes on the wealthy and large companies</a>, and by concerns about the size of the federal budget deficit. Farm bill proponents will have to work even harder now than in the past to underscore the magnitude and impact of this legislation, and the ways in which it affects everyone living in the United States.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201666/original/file-20180111-101498-1sj3e4w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nutrition programs, mainly SNAP, account for more than three-quarters of spending under the most recent farm bill.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Helping farmers compete</h2>
<p>Of course the farm bill helps farmers, ranchers and producers. It provides <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/">credit</a> for beginning farmers to get started. It protects against farm losses due to natural disasters through <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index">disaster assistance</a> and <a href="https://www.rma.usda.gov/news/currentissues/farmbill/">crop insurance</a>. It provides a cushion for the individual farmer if he or she suffers a poor yield or low prices, through a series of farm payment programs tied to specific <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-commodity-policy/crop-commodity-program-provisions-title-i.aspx">commodities</a>. </p>
<p>Agricultural trade is critically important to the bottom line for U.S. farmers, ranchers and producers. <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/faqs/#Q12">More than 20 percent of all U.S. agricultural production is exported</a>. Agricultural exports are projected to account for <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40152.pdf">one-third of farm income in 2017</a>. </p>
<p>The farm bill authorizes <a href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/market-access-program-map">market access promotion</a> and <a href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/export-credit-guarantee-program-gsm-102">export credit guarantee</a> programs that are key for promoting exports and generating farm income from exports. These programs provide resources to exporting businesses to aggressively market American agricultural products overseas, and to enable exporters to price our products more competitively on the world market. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201667/original/file-20180111-101511-17e0o6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Then- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks with Provincial Agriculture Deputy Julio Martinez during a visit to a local farmers market in Havana, Cuba, Nov. 13, 2015.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">USDA/Lydia Barraza.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Making healthy food available and affordable</h2>
<p>All of these provide a stable and secure supply of food for the nation. Along with efficient supply chains, they also allow us to enjoy relatively inexpensive food. On average, Americans spend <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-prices-and-spending/">less than 10 percent of their income on food</a>.</p>
<p>The farm bill is also a nutrition bill. It funds the <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a> (SNAP), our country’s major program that helps low-income individuals and families afford a healthy diet. In 2016 SNAP served <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/pd/SNAPsummary.pdf">more than 44 million Americans</a>. </p>
<p>Two issues are likely to arise during the farm bill discussion. First, there will be an effort to impose work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. Today, those individuals are required to be in school or working a minimum of 20 hours a week, or their benefits are limited to three months every 36 months. </p>
<p>Second, there will be efforts to limit what people can buy with SNAP benefits – for example, barring their use to purchase soda or other foods that are considered unhealthy. Implementing such restrictions might prove more difficult and costly than policymakers may expect.</p>
<p>Other nutrition provisions in the bill <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfmnp/overview">help senior citizens buy goods at farmers’ markets</a> and <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/2013/fns-000413">make fresh fruits and vegetables more readily available</a> to millions of school children. It is easy to see why farm and nutrition advocates historically have worked together to support passage of the farm bill in an alliance that joins rural and urban interests.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201671/original/file-20180111-101502-8nh6r4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Food insecurity means that access to adequate food for active, healthy living is limited by lack of money and other resources. Very low food security occurs when food intake for one or more household members is reduced and normal eating patterns are disrupted.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Boosting rural economic development</h2>
<p>Only 15 percent of America’s population lives in rural areas, but as the bumper sticker reminds us, “No farms, no food.” The farm bill helps make it possible for people who want to farm to stay on the land by funding supporting jobs that provide a second income. It also provides resources to improve the quality of life in rural places. </p>
<p>Since 2009, <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/USDARDProgressReport2016.pdf">programs authorized through the farm bill</a> have helped over 1.2 million families obtain home loans; provided six million rural residents with access to improved broadband service; enabled 791,000 workers to find jobs; and improved drinking water systems that serve 19.5 million Americans. </p>
<p>The farm bill also supports our national system of <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-the-Morrill-Act-Still/132877">land grant universities</a>, which was proposed by President Lincoln and created by Congress in 1862. Lincoln envisioned a system of colleges and universities that would expand the knowledge base of rural America by improving agricultural productivity. </p>
<p>Through the farm bill, Congress provides grants for research at land grant universities in fields ranging from animal health to organic crop production and biotechnology. Lincoln would be pleased to know that these programs mirror his vision of increasing agricultural productivity through targeted research shared with farmers and ranchers.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201674/original/file-20180111-101508-6w2kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Protecting natural resources and producing energy</h2>
<p>Farmers, with the assistance of the farm bill, can improve soil quality and preserve habitat for wildlife. The farm bill funds voluntary conservation programs that currently are helping <a href="https://www.usda.gov/topics/conservation">more than 500,000 farmers and ranchers</a> conserve soil and improve air and water quality – actions that benefit all Americans. </p>
<p>For example, the <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/">Conservation Reserve Program</a> pays farmers to take environmentally sensitive land out of agricultural production and conserve it for other purposes, such as <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/2015/CRPProgramsandInitiatives/Duck_Nesting_Habitat_Initiative.pdf">wetland habitat for birds</a>. The <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/eqip/">Environmental Quality Incentives Program</a> and the <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/csp/">Conservation Stewardship Program</a> pay farmers to adopt conservation practices, such as conservation tilling and fencing livestock out of streams.</p>
<p>Producing renewable energy is an important tool for expanding economic opportunity in rural areas. USDA’s <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency">Renewable Energy for America Program</a> authorizes investments in small- and large-scale projects including wind, solar, renewable biomass and anaerobic digesters, which farmers can use to produce biogas energy by breaking down manure and other organic wastes. Since 2009 the Renewable Energy for America Program has helped finance <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/usda-seeks-applications-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-loans-and-1">over 12,000 renewable energy projects</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201701/original/file-20180111-101495-j3h7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Anaerobic digester systems like this one at Pennwood Dairy Farms in Berlin, Pennsylvania, capture biogas for energy production from the breakdown of manure while reducing pathogens and controlling odors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/czxUmb">USDA</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Investing in food and farmers</h2>
<p>In discussion of any legislation that affects so many different constituencies, a key challenge is to recognize that multiple interests are at stake and try to avoid pitting groups against one another unnecessarily. If differences become too divisive, the risk of not passing a farm bill grows. </p>
<p>Many programs in the farm bill are authorized only for specific periods of time. This means the ultimate consequence of not getting a bill passed could be that some policies would revert back to outdated “permanent” (nonexpiring) laws <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42442.pdf">enacted more than 50 years ago</a>. This would cause major disruptions to the nation’s food system and skyrocketing food costs. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the farm bill’s importance because they think it impacts only farmers. Over the next few months, debate and discussion about the farm bill will grow, and hopefully will lead to broader understanding of the bill’s importance. I hope this awareness will encourage Congress and the president to provide the level of investment that is needed to maximize the positive impacts that the farm bill can have for all Americans.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Vilsack served as Governor of Iowa from 1999-2007 and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 2009-2017. He is president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC); a Strategic Advisor of Food & Water Initiatives at the National Western Center as part of the Colorado State University System team; and Global Chair for the International Board of Counselors on Food & Water Initiatives. He serves on the board of Feeding America, GenYouth and Working American Education Fund and the World Food Prize Foundation Board of Advisors. </span></em></p>Congress is drafting the 2018 farm bill, which will guide agriculture, nutrition, trade and rural development policy. A former agriculture secretary explains how this bill reaches far beyond farms.Tom Vilsack, Strategic Advisor, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/735852017-04-05T01:09:00Z2017-04-05T01:09:00ZFarmers can profit economically and politically by addressing climate change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162989/original/image-20170328-3788-1yl9gby.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A farmer harvests soybeans near Lenox, Iowa.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Drake University Agricultural Law Center</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>President Trump, congressional Republicans and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-do-farmers-think-about-climate-change/">most American farmers</a> share common positions on climate change: They question the science showing human activity is altering the global climate and are skeptical of using public policy to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.</p>
<p>But farmers are in a unique position to tackle climate change. We have the political power, economic incentive and policy tools to do so. What we don’t yet have is the political will. </p>
<p>As a fifth-generation Iowa farmer and the resilient agriculture coordinator at the <a href="http://www.drake.edu/law/clinics-centers/aglaw/">Drake University Agricultural Law Center</a>, I deal with both the challenges and opportunities of climate change. I also see a need for the agriculture community to make tough choices about its policy priorities in the face of dramatic political shifts in Washington. </p>
<p>Pundits, agriculture groups and President Trump have identified farmers as a <a href="http://www.agriculture.com/news/business/after-voting-heavily-for-trump-rural-america-wants-to-change-his-mind">key demographic</a> in the Republican victory. How we leverage this influence remains to be seen. Trade and immigration policy and the <a href="https://farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2017/03/senate-ag-committee-confirmation-hearing-usda-nominee-sonny-perdue/?utm_source=farmdoc+daily+and+Farm+Policy+News+Updates&utm_campaign=c5611dc600-FPN_RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2caf2f9764-c5611dc600-173644405">president’s fiscal 2018 budget proposal</a> are already creating disagreements between farmers and the Trump administration. We will need to be strategic in using our political power to shape agriculture policy. </p>
<p>My research and farming experience convince me that even in today’s unpromising political conditions, <a href="http://drakeaglaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/250117-Russell-Final-Macro2.pdf">agriculture can play an important role in addressing climate change</a>. American farmers can become global leaders in producing what the world needs as much as abundant food: a stable climate.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163939/original/image-20170404-14594-1izbfy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163939/original/image-20170404-14594-1izbfy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163939/original/image-20170404-14594-1izbfy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163939/original/image-20170404-14594-1izbfy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163939/original/image-20170404-14594-1izbfy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163939/original/image-20170404-14594-1izbfy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163939/original/image-20170404-14594-1izbfy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Flooded farms in North Dakota, March 28, 2009. Farmers are vulnerable to floods, drought and other natural disasters that may be worsened by climate change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FEMA_-_40506_-_Aerial_of_flooding_in_North_Dakota.jpg">FEMA/Wikipedia</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Farmers wrestle with climate change</h2>
<p>Prior to 2009, thousands of farmers across the United States participated in two large-scale projects designed to maintain or increase carbon storage on farmlands: the <a href="http://www.theprairiestar.com/news/crop/nfu-carbon-credit-program-generates-million-for-farmers-and-ranchers/article_101e3421-87b9-5f85-95ae-3bc78abd105c.html">National Farmers Union Carbon Credit Program</a> and the <a href="http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/saline/DLFE-8518.pdf.pdf">Iowa Farm Bureau AgraGate</a> program. These programs paid farmers for limiting the number of acres they tilled and for maintaining or establishing grasslands. Payments came through the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), a voluntary market in which businesses could buy and sell carbon credits. </p>
<p>But after Barack Obama became president in 2009, farmers overwhelmingly joined the opposition to climate change action. As agriculture journalist Chris Clayton documents in his 2015 book “<a href="http://www.theelephantinthecornfield.com/home.html">The Elephant in the Cornfield</a>,” farmers viewed Obama’s climate strategy – especially the push for <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/science/earth/26climate.html">cap-and-trade legislation</a> in 2009-2010 – as regulatory overreach by a Democratic Congress and president. </p>
<p>For example, after the Environmental Protection Agency briefly mentioned livestock in a 2008 report on regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, farmers and agriculture trade groups erupted in outrage at the prospect of a “<a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2008/12/epa-tax-on-cows-and-pigs/">cow tax</a>” on methane releases from both ends of the animal. When Congress failed to enact the cap-and-trade bill in 2010, the CCX went out of business. </p>
<p>The election of President Trump and Republican majorities in both houses of Congress eliminates the regulatory “bogeyman” that many farmers organized to reject in 2009. In our opposition, farmers rejected an opportunity to be paid for providing environmental services. Forgoing new sources of income might have made economic sense during the historic <a href="https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/central-banker/winter-2013/agriculture-boom-continued-2013">commodity boom</a> between 2009 and 2013, but it no longer does. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163930/original/image-20170404-5706-1wny9lh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163930/original/image-20170404-5706-1wny9lh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163930/original/image-20170404-5706-1wny9lh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163930/original/image-20170404-5706-1wny9lh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163930/original/image-20170404-5706-1wny9lh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163930/original/image-20170404-5706-1wny9lh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163930/original/image-20170404-5706-1wny9lh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-sector-income-finances/highlights-from-the-farm-income-forecast/">USDA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Recently the farm economy has soured. After several years of historic profitability, 2017 looks to be the <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-sector-income-finances/highlights-from-the-farm-income-forecast/">fourth straight year of declining income</a>. American farmers face forecasts of stagnant to declining revenues.</p>
<p>Farmers may now be willing to consider new ways of generating income by adopting environmentally friendly practices, such as <a href="http://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crops/farming-trifecta-no-till-cover-crops-and-a-diverse-rotation">planting cover crops, extending crop rotations or eliminating tillage</a>. Many farmers are already using these practices on a small scale. To combat climate change, we need to apply them on nearly all of our acres. And we need to develop new environmentally friendly practices.</p>
<p>Farmers are motivated by economic incentives to implement environmental practices. As an example, they recently enrolled nearly 400,000 acres in the <a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/economic-and-policy-analysis/natural-resources-analysis/pollinators/index">USDA Conservation Reserve Program CP-42</a> which pays farmers to take land out of production and establish habitat for pollinators. Ironically, today we may need to embrace a source of revenue that just eight years ago seemed to many like regulatory overreach. </p>
<h2>Opportunities under the Paris Agreement</h2>
<p>The world came together in December 2015 to complete the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-paris-climate-agreement-at-a-glance-50465">Paris Agreement</a>, which signals a major advance in global commitments to address climate change. All participating countries commit to lowering their greenhouse gas emissions. A number of American businesses have started to support <a href="https://www.c2es.org/international/business-support-paris-agreement">putting a price on carbon</a>. </p>
<p>Agriculture was noticeably <a href="https://ccafs.cgiar.org/publications/agriculture-integrated-paris-agreement#.WN6_w_L0fR8">absent from global climate discussions</a>, but farmers could profit from policies that monetize carbon and create new markets for carbon emission allowances. At the Paris conference, the French government introduced the <a href="http://4p1000.org/understand">4 per 1000 Initiative</a>, which challenges farmers to increase the carbon in their soils. Other national governments, universities and agricultural organizations have joined this effort to advance agriculture that captures and stores carbon.</p>
<p>Now American farmers face a choice. Do we want to explore ways of providing environmental services to fight climate change? Or will we sit back and allow farmers in other parts of the world to develop these agricultural solutions? California is already showing the way by <a href="https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm">inviting farmers</a> to participate in public-private efforts to address climate change. </p>
<h2>Leveraging the 2018 Farm Bill</h2>
<p>The Trump administration rejects policy efforts to protect the climate and indicates the United States may pull out of the Paris Agreement. Therefore, farmers will need to flex our political muscle to support climate solutions. Fortunately, we have powerful policy tools at our disposal. </p>
<p>Agriculture organizations and lawmakers are developing the 2018 farm bill, which will guide U.S. agriculture policy for several years, likely through 2022. Forward-thinking farmers can use this legislation to develop programs to pay for climate-friendly environmental services without radically changing the way we farm. Relatively small innovations can deliver payments for environmental services, which initially would be supported by American taxpayers but later could be funded by carbon markets. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163937/original/image-20170404-5697-55dapn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163937/original/image-20170404-5697-55dapn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163937/original/image-20170404-5697-55dapn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163937/original/image-20170404-5697-55dapn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163937/original/image-20170404-5697-55dapn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163937/original/image-20170404-5697-55dapn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163937/original/image-20170404-5697-55dapn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers to remove environmentally sensitive land from production and plant beneficial species on it, Paul and Becky Rogers converted 14 acres of their land in Kent County, Michigan to pollinator habitat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/17845053113/in/album-72157654028489615/">USDA/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For example, conservation programs currently target soil erosion. Policymakers would need to add rewards for reducing emissions and sequestering carbon. As a starting point, the next farm bill can identify practices that produce these outcomes and incorporate them into existing programs. The bill could also develop new programs to accelerate farmer innovation.</p>
<p>Farmers have a history of working together. Federal programs supporting ethanol and biodiesel production and wind turbines on farmlands all came about because farmers advanced <a href="http://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/crs/R43416.pdf">public policies</a> to support these products before clear market demand existed. In the same way, we can use the farm bill to increase farm income by monetizing the public benefits of climate services.</p>
<h2>How farmers can lead</h2>
<p>When the CCX collapsed in 2010, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farming-as-solution-to-climate-change/">farm groups</a> had already lost money trying to develop a program before there was enough public support to sustain it. We learned that it requires both government action and business leadership to successfully reward farmers for environmental services. </p>
<p>By advancing payments for climate services in the next farm bill, we can make our farms more resilient and align American agriculture with global business interests. If history is a good predictor of our future, no one is going to do this for farmers. We will have to do it for ourselves.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/73585/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Russell works at Drake University as the Resilient Agriculture Coordinator in the Agricultural Law Center. Much of his work has been funded by a combination of state grants, federal grants, and support from private foundations.
He co-owns Coyote Run Farm with his husband Patrick Standley. They live on their farm in rural Lacona, Iowa, participate in current USDA programs, and will likely participate in future USDA programs.
He currently serves on the USDA Iowa Farm Service Agency State Committee as a special employee with USDA. This is a political appointment that began during the Obama administration and will end at some point during the Trump administration. </span></em></p>Whether or not farmers believe human activities are changing the climate (many don’t), an agriculture specialist urges them to pursue payments for techniques that return carbon to the soil.Matthew Russell, Resilient Agriculture Coordinator, Drake UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.