| Rural Community
Updates!
February 10, 2000 Providing key information on recent developments in rural America, including updates on the Farm Bureau and salient issues converging around water quality, farm sustainability and the protection of biodiversity. *********************************************************************** 1. A NEW MILLENNIUM OF FARM POLICY 2. WETLANDS VICTORY: "MAY HELP FARMERS THE MOST" 3. DIRTY WATER, DIRTY BUSINESS 4. FRITO LAY REJECTS BIOTECH 5. FARM BUREAU WANTS ‘EM CALLED PRAIRIE RATS ************************************************************************** GREEN GrassRoots Environmental Effectiveness Network is a project of Defenders of Wildlife designed to serve grassroots wildlife and wilderness advocates. GREEN policy positions do not necessarily represent those of Defenders of Wildlife. If you would like to subscribe to this list, send a reply to sjohnson@albq.defenders.org ************************************************************************** A NEW MILLENNIUM OF FARM POLICY GREEN is proud to have co-hosted the first farm policy panel of the new millennium. Along with the Family Farm Coalition and GRACE (Global Resource Action Center for the Environment) we convened an historical alliance of agricultural and conservation groups during the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation in Houston Texas, January 10, 2000. The effects of this event were certainly felt by the agribusiness interests within Farm Bureau. Moreover, in other convention news the American Farm Bureau Federation now has a new president. After serving eight terms as the Farm Bureau chief, Dean Kleckner was replaced by Texas Farm Bureau president Bob Stallman. Kleckner’s replacement is testimony to the transformative power of alliance building. It is also a measure of the internal grappling for power between the farmer and agribusiness/insurance factions within Farm Bureau. A struggle certain to escalate as farm policy talks begin this month in Washington. WETLANDS VICTORY - MAY HELP FARMERS THE MOST! Readers may remember the recent "scandal" that resulted in the "improper" declassification of wetlands in South Dakota. Last fall allegations erupted claiming that the National Corn Growers Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation and their Big Ag allies were unduly influential in this action. There was even an alleged "smoking gun letter" from Big Ag cited in an investigation by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. An ensuing lawsuit by an alliance of hunting, conservationists and Native Americans against the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the declassification was recently settled out of court. According to outdoor radio and television celebrity Tony Dean, this decision reverses the NRCS decision that allowed Big Ag to "self-certify prior manipulations of wetlands." This settlement is tremendous news for advocates of wetlands protections. As Dean reports, "ironically, the settlement may help farmers the most. Though some farm organization leaders, who pushed the (Fisher) decision may dispute that, it's difficult to argue that putting more acres into production will help improve commodity prices." While the settlement is excellent news, the larger problem of who has influence within the NRCS and the USDA still needs to be addressed. You can view Tony Dean’s article on the web at http://www.tonydean.com/98/1.19.008.59PMissues.html. DIRTY WATER, DIRTY BUSINESS The Prairie Rivers League has done a great service with the web posting of their report, "Dirty Water, Dirty Business." This report chronicle’s the state of Illinois waterways and one of the chief obstacles blocking progress - the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB). Those of you who know about IFB know that their president Ron Warfield functions in a variety of leadership roles in national Farm Bureau related agribusinesses. These include insurance, banking, capital management and agricultural services. He also sits on the Federations’ national board, serves as trustee for the Illinois Agricultural Trust, helps coordinate GROWMARK Co-op, directs communications for IFB and is a member of the USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education & Economics advisory board. This is the fellow who was identified by the press last week during testimony in Washington DC on agribusiness concentration as a "farmer" from Illinois. The Prairie Rivers League report is a must read for all advocates of clean water, family farms and organic agriculture. It is literally a template for examining how Big Ag deceptively influences farm policy and environmental policy by pretending to be the family farmer. View the site at: http://www.sustainusa.org/prairierivers/prn.html. FRITO LAY REJECTS BIO-TECH An associated Press Wire reports that Frito Lay, one of America’s top snack producers is telling suppliers not to purchase genetically altered corn. Author David Koenig reports that a Frito Lay spokesperson reported, " There is some consumer concern out there. We felt at this time it’s appropriate to ask our growers not to sell us genetically altered corn." The American Farm Bureau Federation, with millions of insurance company dollars invested in Monsanto accused Frito-Lay of "caving in to anti-biotech activists." Joseph Fields, a spokesman for the insurance conglomerate said Frito-Lay executives "are responding to small splinter groups out of fear they’re going to be boycotted." THE FARM BUREAU ON RATS The American Farm Bureau Federation has a resolution in their handbook that calls for changing the name of the imperiled black-tailed prairie dog -- to prairie "rat". In a recent article calling for this change, one farm bureau writer opines "To call a thing by it's right name is the beginning of wisdom." (See: http://www.fb.org/nefb/news/mv/mv01-04-00.html).Apart from this mean-hearted attempt to demean a critter reduced to less that 5% of its former range, the Farm Bureau should begin the pursuit of wisdom closer to home. Here is a suggestion that might actually clear up a few things. I suggest the name of the Farm Bureau be changed to reflect the nature of its leadership, policies and direction. I suggest they should rename themselves the Flagrant Insurance Bureau. Despite down playing their involvement in this industry, Farm Bureau controls a collection of 63 insurance companies -- most with million and in some instances billion dollar revenues. I think the new name - the Flagrant Insurance Bureau sheds light on the outrageous hoax their leadership perpetuates on their farmer members. Besides the acronym (FIB) is quite fitting.____________ Scotty Johnson |