Mississippi's top recipients took in 200 times more subsidy than the average farm in the state. The EWG study comes at a time of severe economic distress for many family farmers. Dubbed revolutionary by its proponents in 1996, the Freedom to Farm law dramatically boosted subsidy payments in 1996 and 1997, even though farm prices were robust at the time. Taxpayers were promised that payments would decline thereafter. But when prices weakened in 1998 and 1999 Congress changed its mind and approved additional billions in aid.
Family farmers face pressing economic and environmental problems.
We should be helping them, not subsidizing the big operations waiting to buy them out. The EWG report recommends that farm subsidy recipients be required to document their financial need before being eligible for farm subsidy payments, and that aid should be targeted to working farmers and sharply reduced for large farms. The group wants increased assistance for conservation and environmental improvements, including water treatment and sewage facilities for small towns and funding to promote organic farming and less pesticide use. EWG also recommends a substantial increase in funding for open space preservation, anti-sprawl measures, and other environmental needs in New England, Florida and California.