Conservation and the 2007 Farm Bill - IV
Conservation and the 2007 Farm Bill - EQIP cost-share program
by Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org
The 2002 farm bill grandly expanded funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). In combination with the increased funding, we also witnessed a dramatic increase in the payment limitation, going from $50,000 in the 1996 Farm Bill to $450,000 under the 2002 Farm Bill. This allows a substantial portion of the program dollars to flow towards large-scale livestock operations.
The 2007 farm bill needs to address this issue and re-establish the $50,000 payment limitation. It should target program dollars towards conservation measures that promote agricultural diversity and a new generation of agriculturalists rather than those measures that encourage the continued consolidation of agriculture and the environmental degradation of rural communities. The EQIP should be funded at no less than $400 million per year.
post a question or comment here or contact John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org
Center for Rural Affairs
Values. Worth. Action.
by Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org
The 2002 farm bill grandly expanded funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). In combination with the increased funding, we also witnessed a dramatic increase in the payment limitation, going from $50,000 in the 1996 Farm Bill to $450,000 under the 2002 Farm Bill. This allows a substantial portion of the program dollars to flow towards large-scale livestock operations.
The 2007 farm bill needs to address this issue and re-establish the $50,000 payment limitation. It should target program dollars towards conservation measures that promote agricultural diversity and a new generation of agriculturalists rather than those measures that encourage the continued consolidation of agriculture and the environmental degradation of rural communities. The EQIP should be funded at no less than $400 million per year.
post a question or comment here or contact John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org
Center for Rural Affairs
Values. Worth. Action.
posted by Center for Rural Affairs @ 4:58 PM
1 Comments:
At 1:26 AM,
Anonymous said…
Good article. Once again we catch our government giving a large helping hand to continued rapid consolidation of our agriculture enterprise, when are they going to learn, this will cost them most dearly in the future.
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