The case for radical changes in U.S. farm policies

Abstract

First paragraphs:

Over the past decade, I have written numerous columns and articles advocating transforma­tional changes in farm policies (Ikerd, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022). I have freely admitted that my propo­sals have been too radical to be considered relevant in previous farm bill debates. However, I think public support is growing for radical changes in both farm and food policies. Furthermore, the current bureaucratic chaos in Washington, D.C., may provide an opportune political environment for radical change.

It is time to truly start thinking “outside the box”—in this case, outside the box of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The inclusion of farm and food policies in the 2025 federal budget reconciliation bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025,” provides opportunities to change the way farm and food assistance policies are funded and administered. The bill didn’t change previous funding priorities. It provides increased funding for industrial commodity producers, reduced funding for food assistance programs, community develop­ment, and local foods, and redirects climate change funding to subsidize conservation practices for commodity producers. However, funding agri-food programs through the regular budgeting process, rather than a separate “farm bill,” weakens the grip of the industrial agricultural establishment on farm and food policies. . . .