SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE COALITION
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Ferd Hoefner
Thursday, December 6, 2001
phone:  202/547-5754

ADMINISTRATION FLIP-FLOPS ON CONSERVATION SECURITY ACT

Washington, D.C. - Sustainable agriculture groups from around the
country have put their support behind the Conservation Security Act
program, Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin's centerpiece in the
conservation title of the farm bill.

Until now, the Conservation Security Program appeared to also have
strong support from the Administration.  According to USDA in the Bush
Administration September 2001 report titled Food and Agricultural
Policy: Taking Stock for the New Century, "It may be the best option for

compensating farmers for the environmental amenities they provide, as
well as recognizing the past efforts of "good actors" who already
practice enhanced stewardship." (page 81)

Now, however, in an apparent reversal, the Statement of Administrative
Policy on the farm bill says the program "does not necessarily deliver
measurable, effective environmental benefits," adding conveniently that
they would support a program "designed to reward producers for sound
stewardship practices if the program is crafted to generate genuine
increased environmental benefits."

"The Administration's flip-flop on the Conservation Security Program is
all about politics, not substance," according to Ferd Hoefner,
Washington Representative for the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
"They got it right the first time, before they went hunting for
excuses."

The Cochran-Roberts conservation title, which now has the
Administration's support, contains no comprehensive working lands
stewardship program and nothing that would reward existing stewards for
their environmental performance and services.

In contrast, the Conservation Security Program contains a more extensive

set of conservation purposes than any other existing or proposed
conservation program.  It contains specific measures for monitoring and
evaluation, measures the Senate Agriculture Committee decided were so
helpful that the farm bill they reported, S. 1731, now would apply them
to all conservation programs.  It contains a specific measure directing
USDA to reconstitute their conservation guidance so it includes
measurable, quantifiable standards.  It contains specific measures to
encourage farmer innovation to improve real environmental outcomes.

Most importantly, it contains a reward structure that increases
incentives as farmers move from simple best management practices to
environmentally far-reaching practices such as diversified,
resource-conserving crop rotations, extensive cover cropping, managed
grazing, conservation buffers, and natural resource restoration
projects.   The principle behind CSP is that the higher rewards should
flow to those providing the highest degree of stewardship.

"The appropriate question for the Administration to be asking is why
aren't the innovative environmental performance standards and provisions

in the CSP also included in existing USDA conservation programs?"
continued Hoefner.  "Sadly, the Administration's new position on
conservation, contrary its previous views, is anti-reform and pro-status

quo."

The Conservation Security Program would:

*   encourage farmers to farm in ways that protect the soil, water
and air from environmental degradation.
*   focus on the environmental benefits that sustainable management
of working farmland can provide, helping to restore balance to a
conservation portfolio which currently spends over 90% of conservation
program dollars for farm retirement.
*   cover all regions of the country, all types of agricultural
land, and includes all crop and livestock producers.
*   in contrast to all other conservation programs, provide one-stop
shopping for the producer - i.e., rather than forcing them to apply to
separate programs for each particular resource concern (soil, water,
wildlife, grass, wetland, etc.), the farmer can incorporate all resource

concerns into one plan, one application, and one payment.
*   provide open enrollment available to all producers who want to
participate and who have a legitimate, approved conservation plan,
without artificial budget caps, limited enrollment periods, or long
waiting lists and backlog.
*   comply with WTO green box requirements and provide US producers
with an equivalent program to catch up to "green payment" programs
emerging in other competitor countries.

"The Conservation Security Act is a major step forward for federal farm
programs.  Tying farm payments to environmentally smart farming
practices is good for farmers, good for the environment and worthy of
public support." said Hoefner.

The Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also strongly opposes the
Cochran-Roberts bill's deletion of funding for innovative rural and
agricultural programs in S 1731 that assist farmers with value-added
enterprises, support rural microenterprise loans, help beginning farmers

and ranchers get started in agriculture, and improve community economic
development.  The Coalition is supporting amendments to the farm bill on

commodity program payment limitations (sponsors forthcoming), soil and
grassland protections (Durbin amendment), limitations on subsidies to
expand factory livestock operations (Wellstone amendment), and
competition (Harkin; Johnson/Grassley/Wellstone; Feingold amendments).

The Sustainable Agriculture Coalition represents Midwest-based farm,
rural and conservation groups.
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