Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Hey guys! I had to switch to the Fair Farm Bill because Senators Klobuchar and Franken voted yes for the Clean Air Act. I decided to switch to the Farm Bill due to it’s current action with getting politicians on board.

If you want to stand up to the politicians who are not standing up against large corporations that we’ve watched in the food documentaries come to this event:

What: Fair Farm Bill Forum

Where: UMD Kirby Ballroom

When: This Tuesday night at 7pm

Why: Read this post

We will be talking to Senator Klobuchar’s staff about why she has not followed through with defending local/medium-sized farmers against large corporations by implementing the GIPSA rules.

I did my research by interviewing and campaigning for Food and Water Watch’s staff that are working on getting our MN politicians to vote yes on the GIPSA rules for the 2012 Farm Bill. The information presented below in this post has been taken from the interview with the staff from Food and Water Watch.

What is the issue/ problem?

There is a power and economic imbalance between large food corporations and small/medium sized local farmers. Farmers are not getting the help they need from the government to compete with large farming corporations such as Cargill, Monsanto, and Tyson. When farmers are not able to keep competing with big agribusiness they are forced to work for low wages, sell out to the corporations, or become completely unemployed. This causes less local jobs, which means much less local money, and lack of justice for our food system.

The GIPSA rules were created to level the playing field between large corporations and local businesses. GIPSA stands for Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) 
 For example, one of the rules puts a limit on how much land that large corporations can buy out from local farmers (aka force farmers to sell out due to power control). The real problem is, is that our representative Amy Klobuchar said she would make sure these gipsu rules are being enforced, but she hasn’t followed through. One explanation for this might be because large corporations like General Mills and Cargill fund her campaign.

 [N]umerous growers are not attending these workshops because of being afraid of retaliation on them by their integrator. A grower this morning has already been threatened by his service person if he attends and speaks at this forum. All the integrator has to do is make sure that particular grower receives inferior chicks to start a grow out with and maybe short his feed delivery, which can lead to a higher feed conversion rate. This happens, really it does. (§201.210 would be applicable to this) (Poultry grower, USDA DOJ Workshop, May 21, 2010)

What current legislation has been proposed to address this? (Identify bill # and name)

The legislation is The Farm Bill P.L. 110-246. The gipsu rules are what’s trying to be updated onto the

Who is affected by the issue?

      Who is affected the most?

      Local MN farmers, their families, and the people they employ, and the poor are affected the most. The poor are affected because the Farm Bill covers food stamps, and donations to local food shelters. 

      Who loses, and what do they lose?

The farmers lose the ability to have competition in the market place to drive the price of their crops up for a better profit. If the farmers have to sell out to a large corporation they are giving up the ability to make a decent wage for their work. Farmers also lose their sense of freedom. Many corporations will do anything to make sure their farmers don’t spill the word about the economic dirty work that is being done (story later in post to prove this) . The people that are also affected the most by this issue are those in poverty. The corporations can decide what kind of food and how much is donated to food shelves and designated for food stamps. Since large corporations are trained to look for the profit rather than the ethics, chances are the food that will be put aside for the poor is going to be low in quality for health.

       

       

      Who gains, and what do they gain?

Large Corporations such as Cargill, Tyson, Monsanto, General Mills gain even more money and power over our food system.  If all of the farms are controlled by few large corporations, they decide how our food is raised and produced.

What are the consequences of the issue?

The consequences mean less local jobs----less local money leading to more poverty and a depressed economic system in MN.  The poor may lose on the amount and quality of food that is allowed for them to purchase via food stamps or attain from the shelters.

      For the individuals mostly affected?

      Local Farmers may have to sell out to large corporations and practice unethical farming methods under control of who ever they supply. If they don’t want to be under the control of the large corporations they may be fined, put out of business, relocate, or have to find a new occupation.

      For their families?

      Families will definitely feel the stress of the local farmers because they survive off of each other. Can you imagine your parents who run the farm having to lose everything or be controlled by someone else?

       

For society?

The poor who depend on this bill may start to lose some of the only health food they have available to them. If large corporations supply the cheapest low grade food possible to the people in order to get extra money in their pocket, they certainly are going to feed the poor food that will cost much more money down the road in health costs.

On a larger scale all people who aren’t buying their food from local free farmers will be affected in health costs due to poor food quality. Think of the documentaries we watched. The animals are being raised in infested, unsanitary conditions which pass onto us and change our physiological health in more ways than we think.

What is the economic impact of the issue?

      What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?

      The economic issue is that there is no competition in the market place between small/medium sized farmers and large corporations. Large corporations are able to flood the market with too much product which drives the price down of the commodities. Small/Medium sized farmers can’t sell their commodities as cheap as this because they need to at least break even to pay for their healthy practices of farming. The economic cost that is going on right now is that about 20% of every dollar is going to the farmer (owned or not owned by large corps) and 80% of that dollars is going towards marketing and retailing.

      What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits?

Pertaining to the 20/80% dollar bill large colorations that pay their farmers poorly are pocketing the money.

What is the social impact of the issue?

As stated before, if the gipsu rules for the Farm Bill are not implemented and enforced then there we will continue down the path of a larger gap between those who have the power and the general population that will lose the ability to have their voice be heard about the farming injustice. Read this story below sent by Emily from Food and Water Watch:

[N]umerous growers are not attending these workshops because of being afraid of retaliation on

them by their integrator. A grower this morning has already been threatened by his service

person if he attends and speaks at this forum. All the integrator has to do is make sure that

particular grower receives inferior chicks to start a grow out with and maybe short his feed

delivery, which can lead to a higher feed conversion rate. This happens, really it does. (§201.210

would be applicable to this) (Poultry grower, USDA DOJ Workshop, May 21, 2010)

I've spoken to numerous growers about attending this meeting, but most of them were afraid to

come for fear of retribution from their poultry company. You have to do as you are told or you

could be refused placement of birds or could face a drop in the number of birds places or worse.

(Poultry grower, USDA DOJ Workshop, May 21, 2010)

      What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?\

      If the GIPSU rules are not implemented, we the people will be paying the price. We will be paying for food with low nutrient quality and health hazard effects behind it. We will be paying in health costs rather than up front on the retail line. In relation to the economic imbalance and food health costs, it will but a burden on the government to supply extra job loss funding to the farmers and affected communities that can’t pay for them to live a healthy life.

What are the social benefits of the issue, and who benefits?

If the GIPSU rules get acted upon, then our MN communities will have the chance of sustainable communities relating to the farmers and the food we can eat. More competition in the food market will be in effect, which will raise the price of commodities, and allow farmers to feed themselves, their families, and communities.

What are the barriers?

      What are the barriers to addressing this issue?

      The barriers of this issue is the money and power that is tied into politics. Something that may be stalling Klobuchar from acting upon these fair farming rules, is that her campaign is largely funded by large corporations. According to Food ‘N’ Water watch is that even though Klobuchar is on the Senate Agriculture Committee, she has the ability to persuade us that she is in favor of supporting farmers but she hasn’t actually supported them in the ways we need her to. 

      How can they be overcome?

Klobuchar’s staff is coming to UMD this Tuesday night for the Fair Farm Bill Forum at 7pm in the Kirby Ballroom. We need to come together put Klobuchar in the hot spot on why she hasn’t been allowing the gipsu rules to pass for the 2012 Farm Bill. 

Coalitions and task forces need to be developed to educate others and voice their opinion about putting their vote towards someone else if our politicians don’t get their butts in gear on this.

What are the resources?

      What resources will we need to address this issue?

      Our main resources are our politicians who have the power to level the playing field between large food corporations and local farmers. Our other resources can be found by talking to the farmers themselves. They have the stories, experience, and truth to tell us why things need to be changed because they are so greatly affected by these issues. Developing coalitions of community activities act as grassroots resource for spreading the word about this issue. Once the word is spread groups of people can join together to address our politicians from a stronger standpoint

      Where and how can they be tapped?

Our senators can be contacted through their offices that were listed in my last post. The best way they can be tapped is by coming to the forum (meeting) Tuesday night at 7pm (Kirby ballroom) to voice your opinion to Klobuchar’s staff.

What is the history of this issue?

The Farm Bill was developed after the Great Depression during Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidency. The Great Depression made it clear that farmers needed help and economic strategies to prevent low commodity prices. The Farm Bill was created with MANY different policies to help in a wide range of ways for the farming system nationally and internationally.

      What is the history of the issue in the community?

      Even though the Farm Bill was created, post World War two the trend of business set in to make a profit. Throughout the last could of decades, it became clear that agribusiness for large farm corporations were becoming stronger against the small/local famers and there needed to be rules put into effect in addition to the Farm Bill.

      What past efforts were made to address it?

      With in the last year, the GiPSU rules were created and finalized to be implemented on leveling the playing field between both sides of the farming spectrum. The issue is that our Klobuchar has not followed through with voting to support these rules.

What were the results?

The results were, having some pissed off farmers and others who are affected by this issue come together for forums to address Klobuchar about not giving the needed support to the small/ medium sized farmers.

Allies & Opponents

      Who would support this issue?

      Al Franked is definitely on board right now, and he’s been help to this issue so far. Other Politicians in California, Iowa, and other states have been supportive of this due to being farmers themselves before holding office.

      Who would oppose this issue?

Large Corporations and the Politicians that have their campaigns funded by the larger corporations.

      How can you involve allies and opponents in advocacy efforts? (What common ground can you share? How can you create a win-win for your allies and your opponents?)

                                    Emily from Food And Water Watch said that the GIPSU rules are a perfect way for large corporations and small/medium sized farmers to meet in the middle on this issue. They will allow farmers to reserve commodities to create competition and raise the prices for profits ( in an ethical economic way). We as constituents need to voice our opinion on this to make sure that these rules go into effect for the Farm Bill for 2012.