The Farm Bill
Every five years Congress reconsiders the Farm Bill. Since the last Farm Bill was passed in 2008, plans are underway to introduce new legislation in 2012. The Farm Bill does two things: it enacts mandatory programs and authorizes discretionary programs.
The Farm Bill has grown since 1933 to include areas often associated with agriculture, such as the commodity programs, conservation programs, and trade, but also includes topics like nutrition, rural development, and the forest service.
The 2008 Farm Bill was projected to be $284 billion, a sum that’s actually less than one percent of the federal budget. Four areas, nutrition, commodity support, conservation, and crop insurance, make up the bulk of the Farm Bill’s total spending. Nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps), make up 67% of Farm Bill spending, while commodities account for 15%.
Resources:
A Farm Bill Primer: Getting Ready for 2012 by Ann Butkowski