The U.S. House of Representatives just passed massive new legislation updating the Farm Bill. But according to Earth Justice, the changes would not be good for you or the planet.
What's happening?
On June 2, the House narrowly passed a new version of the Farm Bill, a huge piece of legislation that impacts everything from the food on your plate to our environment's health.
The bill, which is reauthorized every five years, usually gets support from both sides of the political aisle. But this time, the House Farm Bill was the product of a partisan process that resulted in a bill filled with provisions that may hurt farmers, communities, and our planet.
"We need a bipartisan process that provides unwavering support to our nation's farmers, invests in climate solutions, and respects science-based, sustainable, and justice-driven decision-making," wrote senior legislative representative Blaine Miller-McFeeley. "We can't afford anything less."
Why is the new House Farm Bill concerning?
The House Farm Bill would be a major step backward in the fight to protect our environment, just when we need to take bigger steps forward. It would weaken critical environmental laws, offer handouts to polluting industries like gas and oil, and make it harder for farmers to adopt earth-friendly practices on their land.
For example, the bill would divert funding from conservation programs that help farmers reduce their air pollution and improve soil health. It would also strip away the ability of state and local governments to protect their communities from dangerous pesticides.
And in a brazen giveaway to logging companies, the bill actually declares that burning wood for energy is "carbon neutral" — even though scientists say otherwise.
Perhaps most egregious is what the House Farm Bill does to nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP (commonly known as "food stamps"). The bill would cut SNAP benefits by a whopping $30 billion over the next decade, taking food off the plates of millions of families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who rely on the program to keep from going hungry.
What's being done to stop the Farm Bill?
Thankfully, the House bill is just one step in a long process. The Senate is working on its own version of the Farm Bill, and then the two chambers will come together to hash out a final bill.
That means there's still time to make your voice heard.
Concerned citizens can call their senators and tell them they want a Farm Bill that supports farmers in the fight to protect our environment, safeguards clean air and water, and ensures that every family in America has access to healthy, affordable food.
The future of our food system — and our planet — may depend on such laws and policies, so personal advocacy in these areas is one of the biggest ways any one person can make a difference when it comes to rising global temperatures.
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