The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, enacted into law in June 2008, will govern the bulk of Federal agriculture and related programs for the next 5 years. Its 15 titles include administrative and funding authorities for programs that cover income and commodity price support, farm credit, and risk management; conservation though land retirement, stewardship of land and water resources, and farmland protection; food assistance and agricultural development efforts abroad and promotion of international access to American farm products; food stamps, domestic food distribution, and nutrition initiatives; rural community and economic development initiatives, including regional development, rural energy efficiency, water and waste facilities, and access to broadband technology; research on critical areas of the agricultural and food sector; accessibility and sustainability of forests; encouraging production and use of agricultural and rural renewable energy sources; and initiatives for attracting and retaining beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.The USDA provides a general portal to the Farm Bill as well, with notices of meetings, news briefs, and links to the text of the bill.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Side-by-side comparison of the 2008 Farm Bill with previous year
USDA's Economic Research Service has released a comparison of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (enacted June 2008) with the existing provisions. From their website: