[MPWG] Q of the Month: The Farm Bill and the Sustainable Production of Medicinal Plants

[Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov]

January 2006 - Question of the Month: The Farm Bill and the Sustainable
Production of Medicinal Plants

THE QUESTION: Where does the sustainable production of medicinal plants fit
into the Farm Bill - what are the possibilities and the pitfalls?

THE ISSUE: As many of you may know, the USDA is currently reviewing the
Farm Bill for the next 5-year plan (2007-2012).  In the past, MPWG members
have mentioned the applicability of the Farm Bill to sustainable production
of medicinal plants.
Although the public comment period on the 2007 Farm Bill is now closed
(www.usda.gov), that does not preclude us from discussing it.  The article
below, posted here with the consent of the author, is provided as a
starting point for discussion.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: The Farm Bill is on the agenda at 2006 Agricultural
Outlook Forum - February 16-17, 2006 - Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel
(Arlington VA) - http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/index.htm

PLEASE READ THIS COURTESY NOTE:  Since some of our members have trouble
receiving the increased e-mail traffic that such discussions may generate,
please post messages that you think will be beneficial to the group - if a
specific issue arises that is pertinent to just one person, please contact
that person off the list.  Thank you!

-Patricia

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>


                       2007 Farm Bill Debate Begins
by Tom Redfern
        The federal Farm Bill, last passed in 2002, is referred to as
omnibus legislation, which means that it is a set of laws. It includes food
assistance, agricultural trade, marketing, and rural development.  The most
recent Farm Bill is called the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act; it
contains 10 titles. This act expires in 2007 and is expected to be
reenacted after the 2006 crop year.
        The name of the most recent bill illustrates the scope and
importance of this legislation. We all have a stake in how food is grown
and in making sure that everyone has access to healthy food. The Farm Bill
can also be a tool to positively affect the environment and to encourage
sustainable forestry practices.
        The 2002 Farm Bill included titles on conservation and forestry.
The Conservation Reserve Program, the Conservation Security Program and the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program are three well-known conservation
programs used in our region. The Conservation Security Program, or CSP, is
based on a new concept known as �green payments,� which assigns economic
value and provides incentives based on how something is grown, as opposed
to what or how much is grown. The forestry title includes the Forest Land
Enhancement Program, or FLEP. FLEP provides cost-share assistance for
forestry practices on private lands.
        FLEP and CSP both illustrate one of the major problems with Farm
Bill implementation. When enacted in 2002, FLEP was set for $100 million in
funding through fiscal year 2007. Actual funding was $35 million and the
additional funding was cancelled. CSP likewise was never fully funded.
Programs such as FLEP and their funding will be a major part of the debate
prior to the next Farm Bill. Issues such as invasive species, especially on
private forestlands, may also be addressed by the 2007 Farm Bill.
        It is important to understand the amount of money that is involved:
$100.5 billion is the estimated �gross outlay of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) for fiscal year 2005. Of that, $24.1 billion goes to
commodity support payments (for crops such as soybeans, corn, cotton,
wheat), $34.2 billion goes to the Food Stamp Program, $8.5 billion goes to
Natural Resources and $2.5 billion goes to rural development.
        Commodity support payments are under increasing criticism for what
many view as inequities in the payments. For example, between 1995 and
2003, 10 percent of farms received 72 percent of the funding. Many people
think that increases in the so- called green payments, and in rural
development would have greater impact on a wider range of rural areas. In
the past, rural economies depended on strong farms; now farms depend on
strong rural economies for success. This is one argument for shifting away
from commodity payments towards investments in rural development.
        It is important that concerned citizens join in the debate on what
to include in the 2007 Farm Bill. This can be done by contacting the USDA,
and our members of congress. To comment directly to the USDA on the Farm
Bill, send letters to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Farm Bill,
1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-3355 (email:
farmbill at usda.gov).
        For more discussion about the farm bill, go to
www.tinyurl.com/dstbs and www.pinchot.org/pic/farmbill/. To reach Tom
Redfern call 740-742-4401 or send messages to tomr at ruralaction.org