The Future of Federal Farm Policy: Steps for Achieving a More Sustainable Food System

Abstract

With a contentious partisan battle looming over the 2013 Farm Bill, this article provides targeted reforms for breathing new life into domestic agricultural policy in a manner that will prioritize rural communities, natural resource conservation, local food systems, and economic growth. The article first explains the difficulty with and complexity of seeking fundamental change to our nation's farm policy in a time of economic recession, and then proposes several key initiatives that can significantly, albeit gradually, reshape the modern agricultural and food system.

Keywords: Sustainable agriculture, farming, food systems, farm policy, Farm Bill, organic, policy reform, Congress