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A bill that heavily favors funding for conservation and the environment over program crops has been introduced in the U.S. House.

"The Healthy Farms, Foods and Fuels Act of 2006" is the first major agriculture bill introduced prior to the 2007 expiration of the current farm bill. Sponsored by Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., the bill has 26 cosponsors, including Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo.

The bill will help farmers address the nation’s energy crisis by boosting funding for renewable energy development on farms, according to a news release by Environmental Defense. The bill also will "provide consumers with greater access to healthy foods and double conservation spending to provide cleaner air, water and wildlife habitat and help stabilize global warming over the life of the next farm bill," according to the news release.

Farm Bureau is reviewing the proposal and while it has no official position on it, there are concerns, said Adam Sharp, OFBF’s director of national and regulatory affairs.

"This bill would mandate significant increases in spending, conservation, rural development and other areas of the farm bill other than program crops," Sharp said. "Where would the money come from to pay for those increases – program crops?"

The bill was introduced last month and has been referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. Norm Berg, former chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, called the proposal the "most ambitious conservation bill in American history."

Specifically, the bill would:

• Increase form $200 million to $2 billion the annual loan guarantees for renewable energy development on farms.
• Expand programs that provide local, healthy food choices to school children and expand coupon programs that allow elderly and low-income Americans to shop at farmers’ markets.
• Double incentives to $2 billion a year for farmers to protect water supplies and make other environmental improvements.
• Provide funding to restore nearly 3 million acres of wetlands.
• Provide funding to protect 6 million acres of farmland from sprawl.

"The bill does surface some interesting ideas but the total package is not there – it doesn’t address program crops," Sharp said. "It’s geared too heavily toward conservation and environmental concerns."

AFBF has called for extending the current farm bill by at least a year since the World Trade Organization talks stalled this summer. AFBF is concerned that if the farm bill is rewritten next year – as the Bush administration wants – the United States will be at a disadvantage when trade talks resume some day.

Ohio Farm Bureau’s Policy Development Committee is currently examining the farm bill debate and will make any recommendations to delegates at the annual meeting.