The farm bill is up for reauthorization by the federal government every five years. After the reauthorization was delayed last year, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn Thompson unveiled a $1.5 trillion package called the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024.
The bill includes increased funding for farm safety net programs to help support farmers struggling from inflation. This includes expanded eligibility for disaster assistance and increased funding for specialty crops and dairy farmers. The bill also includes funding to develop and support markets for farmers to engage in trade abroad, and increases funding towards specialty crop programs, which include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and nursery crops.
In Pennsylvania, the farm bill as written will impact the state’s 50,000 farms and millions of acres of farmland. As Pennsylvania’s leading industry, agriculture relies on the funding authorized through the farm bill to support farmers and producers by providing mandatory funding for various grant programs.
Congressman Thompson recently commented on the process behind the drafting of the bill and said, “The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 is the product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all Members of the House and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies.” However, the bill has been met with pushback from House and Senate Democrats.
The bill as it stands limits future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to calculate benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and is a largely contested issue between legislators.
Democrats also oppose the removal of climate-oriented requirements that cost $13 billion of funds allocated normally to conservation initiatives. These conservation dollars are notably not for climate-change purposes and this section of the bill is historically a bipartisan investment in farmland conservation.
The bill has received significant praise and messages of support from leading members of the agricultural industry. Among the supporters are the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the CEO of the National Association of the State Departments of Agriculture, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Senator John Fetterman also praised the farm bill, saying, “The programs outlined in this package will be huge for Pennsylvania… Farmers in Pennsylvania use these popular programs to support their families and keep their businesses afloat.”
The 2024 farm bill has until September 30, 2024, to pass unless the deadline is extended again. Its reauthorization future is uncertain among members of the Democratic party in Washington DC.
