FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2002

CONTACT:
Wendy Balazik, 202-675-2383

   SIERRA CLUB CALLS ON CONGRESS TO REJECT FARM BILL CONFERENCE REPORT

Washington, DC:  The Sierra Club today urged Members of Congress to oppose
the conference committee's report on the Farm Bill, which encourages
factory farms to increase their production and their pollution.  It does
far too little to help farmers safeguard wetlands, protect clean water and
set aside areas for wildlife habitat.  The House and Senate are expected to
vote on the conference report later this week.

"This bill hands taxpayers the bill for cleaning up the mess made by giant,
corporate-owned farms," said Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra
Club.  "Instead of helping farmers, the farm bill conferees have turned the
bill into more subsidies for polluting factory farms and rejected real
conservation measures."

One of the conference report's worst provisions is a new subsidy for the
livestock industry.  Under the current Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP), large livestock factories are ineligible for federal
cost-sharing grants to manage animal manure.  In contrast, the conference
committee report allows large livestock operators to receive $450,000 in
federal grants, a payment limit that is higher than in either the House or
Senate version of the bill. These operators are typically contract growers
for Tyson's, Smithfield Foods, Cargill, and the relatively small number of
other companies that have come to dominate livestock production. The
companies dictate how the animals are raised and provide the feed and
drugs, while the contractors are left to manage the manure.  Sixty percent
of the $9 billion authorized for EQIP must be spent on the livestock
industry.

"This Farm Bill transforms EQIP, a program that helps farmers protect
drinking water, into a multi-billion dollar give away to a few
industrial-type livestock companies," said Pope.  "This gigantic subsidy
encourages more manure cesspools, which have a long record of contaminating
drinking water, killing fish, and making the stench of these factory farms
unbearable for neighbors.  It accelerates the consolidation of the
livestock industry, harming family farmers and consumers.  We urge Congress
to reject this conference report."

In addition to subsidizing industrial livestock operations, the conference
report also fails to put tough limits on payments on agricultural
producers.  "These largest producers will continue to overproduce and
destroy habitat and water quality, while farmers who want to participate in
voluntary conservation programs are turned away because the money is not
there," Pope said.

The Sierra Club also thanked several legislators who supported stronger
conservation provisions.  "Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Paul Wellstone
(D-MN) and Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Ron Kind (D-WI)
tried to make this a more balanced Farm Bill, and we appreciate their
efforts," Pope concluded.

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