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. --30-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]