Farm Bill Reauthorization: Where We Are and Where We (Hope to) Go

The Challenge

The 2018 Farm Bill - a bundle of legislation that funds farm subsidies, conservation, nutrition incentive programs, and others - expired in 2023 and is hanging on by a continuing resolution that keeps program funding and operations dated back 5 years. Stark divides and slim margins in both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have added to the stalled passage of a new Farm Bill, and many people are not optimistic that a new bill will be authorized under the current administration. 

Michigan constituents play a critical role in influencing the Farm Bill, with Senator Debbie Stabenow as the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Representative Elissa Slotkin on the House Agriculture Committee. Whether or not a new Farm Bill is authorized in 2024, it’s important that we continue pressing our Michigan Members of Congress (on and off Agriculture Committees) to ensure that this Farm Bill centers environmental protection; nutritional food access for all; and a level playing field for small, diversified, and underserved farmers. 

Our challenge is ensuring these priorities are met despite continued pressure to strip funding from pivotal programs, which we do through maintaining collaboration with champions of our priorities and educating and advocating to all Members of Congress to center these needs in the next Farm Bill.

The Impact

The Farm Bill creates and allocates funding to programs that are critical to US farmers, food system workers, and eaters. Stripping funding from programs that support underserved producers, climate-smart conservation, access to nutritional food, and a socially and ecologically thriving food systems would be a tremendous setback to livelihoods and health of communities around the nation in reverberating ways. 

Failure to pass a Farm Bill under the current administration also puts at risk the negotiations and progress that has been made so far and leaves uncertainty around how programs in a newly authorized Farm Bill may be impacted.

Roundtable Outcomes 

As a result of participating in this roundtable participants will:

• Understand Farm Bill programs and their impacts

• Gain knowledge of tactics and opportunities for education and advocacy around priorities

• Connect with others who are primed for Farm Bill action and who can continue to organize and educate others in their community