The Farm Bill: A Citizen's Guide

by Daniel Imhoff, Christina Badaracco

The Farm Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation the American president signs. Negotiated every five to seven years, it has tremendous implications for food production, nutrition assistance, habitat conservation, international trade, and much more. Yet at nearly 1,000 pages, it is difficult to understand for policymakers, let alone citizens. In this primer, Dan Imhoff and Christina Badaracco translate all the “Legalese" and political jargon into an accessible, graphics-rich 200 pages.

Readers will learn the basic elements of the bill, its origins and history, and perhaps most importantly, the battles that will determine the direction of food policy in the coming years. The authors trace how the legislation has evolved, from its first incarnation during the Great Depression, to today, when America has become the world’s leading agricultural powerhouse. They explain the three main components of the bill—farm subsidies, food stamps or SNAP, and conservation programs—as well as how crucial public policies are changing.

As Congress ramps up debate about the next farm bill, we all need to understand the implications of their decisions. Will there be limits on subsidies to huge agribusinesses? Can we shift toward programs that reward sustainable farming practices? Will hungry kids get the help they need? These are questions that affect not only farmers, but everyone who eats.  You have a stake in the answers. The Farm Bill is your guide. 
 

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, United States, Environment

280 pages, Paperback

Published January 10, 2019

Reviews

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book as a PhD student interested in learning more about ag policy in america. rather than read legislation (barf), i'd rather read a book about legislation. It fulfilled the purpose: this book is a collection of facts about farming in america, wrapped in an argument about how farming should be different. the enumeration of federal programs and details about farm bills are super useful! per usual, the argumentation is subpar....too many generalizations, wild accusations, idealistic thoughts. But that's okay by me, for now.

[JOHN OWENS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important but difficult book. Every five years a multi-billion dollar pie is carved up by expert lobbyists and their compliant Congress men and women, with scant attention to the small farmers and nutrition of our nation. Daniel Imhoff explains the history and the acronyms and the likely outcomes. Not a hopeful future ahead. Buy local produce and try gardening!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Longest read ever” because I was doing this on my own efforts for work.

Even though it’s outdated, this book has been one of my number one references as an advocate on Capitol Hill. While numbers and programs have been moved around and renamed, so many of the same concerns, ideas, and problems persist from the last Farm Bill to the current negotiations of the next. While the majority of sections were influential and easy to understand, the last section on being an advocate and building a Farm Bill for all was a bit too simple. The wealth of this book lies in its exploration of the Farm Bill titles and scrutiny of mismanagement and underfunding.

I want a bigger and more detailed book on the Farm Bill. This is a great start - but there’s so much more to be explored (and updated).

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good information including many, many web sites for organizations related to agriculture, nutrition, etc. It made me realize how complex the farm bill is and, like everything else in politics, how many forces have had their influence on this crucial piece of legislation that affects us all so profoundly (and how few of us realized this in my opinion). And this influence has been mostly negative but there is hope.

[Emily Talkow · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly digestible and important read

[Mills College Library]

363.80973 I328 2019