What to expect from the 2023 Farm Bill

by eosmu Januari 02, 2023

What is a farm bill?

Congress reauthorizes the Farm Act every five years. The law establishes funding and requirements for many federal programs related to agriculture, the environment, nutrition, and more. This broad law, last passed in 2018, consists of 12 sections called titles, covering commodity income support, agricultural credit, trade, agricultural conservation, research, rural development, energy, and national and international food programmes. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the 2018 farm bill will cost about $430 billion from 2019 to 2023.

The next farm bill is scheduled to be negotiated in 2023, but Congress has begun holding public hearings on the bill in early 2022. Members of Congress vote on the final bill.

Allison O'Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, attended a roundtable with Sen. Tina Smith and St. Paul's Mayor Melvin Carter in June 2022 to discuss the growing need for food aid. Senator Smith is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Because the Farm Bill is uniquely structured, it has a strong incentive to deliver a bipartisan package on time that has become increasingly challenging for Congress. This requires agricultural advocates, nutritionists and environmental activists (other potentially conflicting stakeholders) to find common ground and work together. This time, lawmakers are tasked with crafting legislation that a majority of Congress can pass by the end of September 2023, when the current farm law expires.

It's not always easy, and in the past there have even been calls to separate the feed addresses from the rest of the farm bill. Recognizing the need for bipartisan feed addresses, the former House Agriculture Committee chairman and Minnesota representative claimed it was the way to go. Successful farm bill.

Why is Second Harvest Heartland interested in Bell's farm?

Due to its name, many think of Farm Bill as a farming focused package. But the majority of Farm Bill spending (75% to be exact) comes from the nutrition programs included in the law. This is partly why the feed address is a target of lawmakers seeking to cut overall funding for the farm bill. We also see many benefits, including support for stakeholders throughout the system, and poverty reduction, especially in rural areas.

The focus of the Hunger Relief community is to ensure that Bill of Agriculture programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), operate in Minnesota. The Nutrition Assistance Program for the Elderly (NAPS) is well funded and available to people facing hunger in their communities. It will be another five years before significant changes are made to these programs, so it is critical that we act now to address the barriers facing Minnesotans who need to access food.

All of these programs are critical aid to food-insecure people in Minnesota, and together they are essential to achieving our mission of Zero Hunger. For example, for every meal provided by Second Harvest Heartland and its partner network (107 million meals in 2021), SNAP will provide 9 meals. Claiming the Strong Nutrition titles on our farm bills is one way we demonstrate our commitment to our mission.

How do you advocate for the Farm Bill nutrition program?

Allison O'Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, briefs USDA Commissioner Tom Vilsack on our business during a visit to our facility in August 2021. The USDA oversees implementation of farm billing programs such as SNAP, TEFAP, and CSFP.

As members of the Feeding America Network, we work with other food banks and hunger relief organizations across the country to advocate for stronger federal feeding programs that support our work and the people we serve. Minnesota is fortunate to have strong representation in the House and Senate by Ajuri