"Southern Arizona benefits from this legislation through improved food safety standards, support for our vibrant agriculture industry, and protection of our open spaces"
-- Gabrielle Giffords
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep.Gabrielle Giffords today voted in favor of legislation that reforms U.S. farm and nutrition policies through 2012. The Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007, which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support, redirects farm subsidies to working family farmers and ranchers, provides for a nearly $4 billion increase in nutrition funding and boosts funding for renewable energy programs by 600%.
“This legislation is a carefully balanced package with real reforms that will protect family farmers and agriculture in a fiscally responsible way,” said Giffords. “It cuts wasteful subsidies for the rich while increasing funding for specialty crops grown on family farms,” she said.
The bill includes a range of farm and food reforms, including barring farmers with incomes over $1 million from receiving subsidies, investing more than $1.6 billion in the fruit and vegetable industry, improving nutrition standards for school food programs, and allowing for full implementation of rules that will require that all meats be clearly labeled as to their country of origin.
Giffords explained, “A diverse group of Arizonans weighed in with me on the legislation, including farmers, ranchers, environmentalists, specialty crop growers and food banks. They were unanimous in their overall support for this legislation.”
Organizations supporting the legislation include the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation, Pima County Farm Bureau, the Defenders of Wildlife, and the Cochise County Farm Bureau.
Paul M. Palmer, Cochise County Farm Bureau President, praised passage of the bill. “This legislation is critical for Cochise County because it adds stability to farmers’ income. Also the increased funding in the bill for conservation programs means a lot. We have participated in several Environmental Quality Incentive Programs and currently have a Conservation Security Program. These projects save a lot of our most precious resource, water. So additional funding for these will be a great boon for Cochise County.”
Kevin Rogers, President of the Arizona Farm Bureau, Vice President of the Arizona Cotton Growers and a fourth generation farmer in Arizona, also gave high marks to the legislation. “This bill will provide financial support for farmers during tough times. It also includes research dollars for specialty crops like pecans, broccoli and pistachios, which are abundant in Arizona. Overall, agriculture is a $9 billion industry in Arizona, and this bill is a strong step forward toward important reforms that will help guarantee the long term health of the industry. It also ensures that our country can continue to produce food and fiber, and this will help decrease any dependence on foreign countries for food.”
The Tucson lawmaker, who has been a vocal supporter of renewable energy efforts, especially expanding solar usage in Southern Arizona, also had high praise for the bills’ 600% expansion of funding for renewable energy programs.
“Small businesses and urban residents feel the pinch from rising fuel prices and their effects on the economy,” Giffords said. “One of the largest opportunities in the agricultural industry right now is biofuel production. The Farm bill ensures that producers will grow energy crops for a biofuel economy, in addition to providing resources for essential renewable fuels research.”