Farmers can provide not only food and fiber, but also clean water, habitat for native wildlife, and other conservation benefits. Farmers can also help reduce the threat of climate change and serve as the frontline against sprawling development. Widely dispersed family farms and ranches promote related businesses and provide the economic and social backbone of many rural economies. If helped to thrive, farms and ranches can help secure the health and vitality of rural communities. Farming practices can also help improve public health.
Many practices can greatly reduce human exposure to bacteria and pesticides.
The next Farm bill, scheduled for 2002, can provide the funds to help farmers achieve these goals for the environment, farm communities, and public health. But traditional agriculture programs at best modestly advance, and to a significant extent undermine, efforts to help family farmers, the environment, and public health. Some members of Congress want to enact a new Farm Bill this year that includes only commodity crop programs. That would leave out conservation, forestry, research, and rural economic development programs, as well as the full range of other traditional farm bill programs including food stamps and nutrition. A new Farm Bill should move comprehensively.