Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the self-described “national voice of agriculture,” gave a speech to kick off the powerful farm lobby’s convention in Seattle by vowing to fight back against any legislative actions that threaten “to change the landscape of American agriculture . . .” according to Allison Winter’s article for the New York Times’ Climate Wire.Specifically, Stallman is concerned about movements by animal rights activist, who have been quite successful using state-ballot initiatives to expand farm animal rights, which ultimately lead to changes in how livestock is raised and slaughtered for human consumption. Additionally, Stallman is concerned about potential climate change legislation.
Winter quotes Stallman as stating, "A line must be drawn between our polite and respectful engagement with consumers and how we must aggressively respond to extremists who want to drag agriculture back to the day of 40 acres and a mule . . . The time has come to face our opponents with a new attitude. The days of their elitist power grabs are over."
The AFBF has over six million members and chapters in every state. When the AFBF voices concerns over federal and state legislation, legislatures tend to listen. The group is in Seattle this week for their annual conference. Winter reports that members are probably going to vote on resolutions “declaiming cap-and-trade legislation, according to members of the organization.”
The AFBF is concerned over potential climate change legislation that would affect fertilizer and energy costs and use. Currently, many in Washington think climate change legislation is a hurdle Congress is waiting to clear until after health care is over.
The House has passed climate change legislation, but the Senate has not. Most recently, Senators John Kerry (MA) and Lindsey Graham (SC) introduced bi-partisan legislation to tackle the issue. Of course, the senators stated one of the reasons they introduced their bill was to give the administration something to point to, as far as US commitments to climate change are concerned, while the administration was meeting in Copenhagen for the international climate change talks.
The current legislation being considered in Congress centers on the cap-and-trade proposal. As Winter reports, under the House bill and potential Senate bill a limit would be set on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the United States. “Regulated entities could buy offsets for some of their emissions by paying farmers to plant trees, practice no-till farming or other carbon-storing practices.”
Winter writes that Stallman described these policies as ‘“slash[ing]” the ability of farmers to provide an adequate food supply for a growing population. Stallman estimated that the current bill could result in 59 million acres of crops grown from food being transitioned into forest land. Winter writes that this would be equal to “setting aside every acre of land used for crop and food production in California, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.”
Stallman urged members to be vocal and aggressive in opposing such legislation, and not let their ‘“politeness’” be used against them.
Currently, the AFBF has taken a position on climate change that essentially says the science is still in question with regards to the human impact on climate change and future climate change. Meanwhile, Winter reports that the Union of Concerned Scientists has sent a letter to Stallman “asking him to reverse his group’s position on climate change.”
For his part, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has “argued the benefits to farmers from carbon offset revenues would outweigh the higher costs.” Regardless, it is clear a healthy debate awaits this legislation.
To read the Winter article click here.
Posted: 01/11/10
