Please Call Your Representatives Immediately–
Urge Them to Fund Sustainable Agriculture Programs in the FY09 Appropriations Bill!!
The 2008 Farm Bill has finally concluded, and without a moment to spare, Congress is deciding which programs with funding authorizations will get money next year and how much (more info below.)
This Thursday, June 19, the House Agriculture Appropriations Committee will vote on Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) funding levels for agricultural programs. Funding for three key sustainable agriculture programs are at risk:
- Organic Transitions Research (OTR) program
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program
- Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program
Please (no later than Wednesday) call Representatives in the House Agriculture Appropriations Committie (listed below) immediately and urge them to support the following:
- Fund the Organic Transitions Research (OTR) program at $5 million.
- Fund the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program at $20 million ($15 million for research and education and $5 million for extension and outreach.)
- Fund the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program at $3 million.
House Agriculture Appropriations Committee
Rosa DeLauro, Chair (D-CT, 3rd), ph: (202) 225-3661, f: (202) 225-9629
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY, 22nd), ph: (202) 225-6335, f: (202) 226-0774
Sam Farr (D-CA, 17th) ph: (202) 225-2861, f: (202) 225-6791
F. Allen Boyd, Jr (D-FL, 2nd), ph: (202) 225-5235, f: (202) 225-5615
Sanford Bishop (D-GA, 2nd), ph: (202) 225-3631, f: (202) 225-2203
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH, 9th), ph: (202) 225-4146, (202) 225-7711
Jesse Jackson, Jr (D-IL, 2nd), ph (202) 225-0773, f: (202) 225-0899
Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ, 9th), ph: (202) 225-5061, (202) 225-5851
David R. Obey (D-WI, 7th), ph: (202) 225-3365, f: (715) 842-4488
Jack Kingston, Ranking Member (R-GA, 1st), ph: (202) 225-5831, f: (202) 226-2269
Tom Latham (R-IA, 4th), ph: (202) 225-5476, f: (202) 225-3301
Jo Ann H. Emerson (R-MO, 8th), ph: (202) 225-4404, f: (202) 226-0326
Ray H. LaHood (R-IL, 18th), ph: (202) 225-6201, f: (202) 225-9249
Rodney Alexander (R-LA, 5th), ph: (202) 225-8490, f: (202) 225-5639
Jerry Lewis (R-CA, 41st) ph: (202) 225-5861, f: (202) 225-6498
When you call, please ask to speak to the aide that works on agriculture appropriations.
Please let us know if you call or send a letter! Contact Tracy Lerman, Policy Program Assistant at OFRF: tracy@ofrf.org or (831) 426-6606 x 108.
Background
The 2008 Farm Bill provides two different types of funding for the programs it authorizes: mandatory funding and discretionary (also called authorized) funding. Spending levels for programs with discretionary funding are dependent on an annual process where the House and Senate Appropriations Committees determine how much money, if any, each of these programs will get. Programs with mandatory funding have their funding levels enacted into law by Congress, and theoretically are not subject to yearly Congressional approval.
Now that the Farm Bill is mostly law (see our last OFAN alert for more info), we need to be advocating for strong support and funding for sustainable and organic agriculture programs that have discretionary funding. The Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee will be deciding on the funding levels for agriculture programs on Thursday, June 19th, 2008. The following three programs are at risk of losing their funding:
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Organic Transitions Research (OTR) program. This program provides grants for research and education that will help farmers surmount challenges of organic production and marketing. Producers increasingly seek reliable information on how to transition to organic production, to meet skyrocketing market demand. OTR has funded projects in fifteen states, an increase from a few years ago, but still far short of what producers nationwide need. In FY07, organic research funding was only about 1% of total federal agricultural research funding, while market share continued to accelerate past 3.5%. President Bush proposes eliminating all funding for OTR in FY09, which we strongly oppose. Instead we support $5 million as a fiscally responsible request. (While the new Farm Bill does provide an increase for a companion organic research program, that amount is still far short of a fair share for organic research.)
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Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program. This highly rated national information service answers practical questions from farmers and others who call its 1-800 telephone number, get help from its website, or attend its workshops. ATTRA provides excellent information services to organic producers. President Bush proposes zero funding for the program in FY09!
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Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. This efficient competitive grants program funds farmer-driven research, education, and extension to develop profitable, environmentally sound farming systems. SARE has provided significant support for organic extension training projects, and organic production systems are featured prominently in SARE’s publications and conferences. President Bush proposes cutting SARE by more than 32% for FY09!
Letters and phonecalls to Appropriations Committee Members have saved these programs before and is crucial again in this tough budget year! Thank you for calling your Representative right now – and no later than Wednesday, June 18!
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