The Farm and Food Policy Project

A diverse coalition of family farm, sustainable agriculture, rural, public health, anti-hunger, environmental, faith-based, and other groups is forming to inform the 2007 Farm Bill.

The cross-sector approach of the Farm and Food Policy Project (FFPP) reflects a commitment to policy reforms that address the full spectrum of public needs addressed by this critical piece of legislation.

This broad and growing coalition believes that by working together, it can make real progress toward supporting family farms and local communities, improving health and nutrition, ending hunger, and increasing biodiversity and improving the quality of our soil, water and air.

Underlying the project's dialogue is a shared set of beliefs and values, which are:

• A widespread and diverse family farm system benefits rural communities and society as a whole;
• Extensive hunger and food insecurity in the United States are unacceptable;
• Strong stewardship commitments are key to maintaining farm and food systems into the future that will promote environmental and public health for our children;
• Stimulating new markets and restoring competition to the marketplace are vital to a fair, sustainable food system;
• Rectifying historic patterns of discrimination and making farm and food policies more responsive to an increasingly diverse society are critically important; and
• Rural and urban communities can work together to create a healthier food system.

The FFPP believes that all the major sections of the Farm Bill - commodity, nutrition, rural development, credit, conservation, research, and energy - hold significant opportunities for crafting more cost-effective and higher-impact policies that can increase farm profitability and improve the health of individuals, communities, and the environment.

In January 2007, the FFPP will release a public statement - endorsed by a broad public interest coalition - identifying core priorities and opportunities for innovation in five areas:

1.) Prosperous Farms and Ranches: Renewing American Agriculture

2.) Healthy People: Reducing Hunger and Improving Nutrition

3.) Vital Communities: Building Rural Businesses and Promoting Entrepreneurship

4.) Sustainable Lands: Cultivating Stewardship

5.) Diversity and Equity: Advancing Opportunities for All

Organizations are invited to review and sign-on to a Declaration on directional change needed to restore balance to farm and food policy.

If your organization would like to support or learn more about the Farm and Food Policy Project, please contact Jessie Dowling at info@farmandfoodproject.org or 202-543-1300.