Farm Bill

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (Farm Bill) is a law that allows Congress to periodically examine and modify American agriculture programs. The first Farm Bill was developed in the 1920's to specifically address commodities programs but has grown through the years to include other programs such as forestry, conservation, trade, research, domestic and foreign food assistance, credit, crop insurance, rural development, and global climate change.

Every five years, the Farm Bill is reviewed and reauthorized to support American producers, ensure consumers an abundance of food and fiber at reasonable prices, and provide various conservation opportunities. Growing concerns about the environmental effects of agricultural activities brought about a merging of commodity support policy and resource conservation policy in the 1985 farm law, in which Congress enacted a conservation title with several significant new programs (CRS 1996). The conservation title has grown in subsequent legislation.

Passage of the Farm Bill was the most significant, enacted legislation to fund fish and wildlife conservation in 2008. But, it required overturning a Presidential veto—twice. In May and June 2008, both Congressional chambers overrode President George W. Bush to reauthorize the 2002 Farm Bill, enacting the new Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

The bill increased total spending on conservation programs by approximately $4 billion to about $7.9 billion through 2012.  While the greater fish and wildlife community, of which the Association was a key advocate, did not achieve everything it set as priorities. The Association did make progress despite some challenges ahead.

Read more about the Farm Bill and fish and wildlife conservation.

For more information, contact Jen Mock at 202/624-7890 or jmock@fishwildlife.org.