Urge your Members of Congress to Include Conservation Compliance in the Farm Bill

For the past several months – beginning with the Mission 4/1 Earth campaign and continuing into the fall – UCC members have faithfully maintained a spirit of advocacy on issues pertaining to earth care. Now is a critical time for us to speak out in favor of conservation efforts on farm land.

We need one more push to ensure that efforts to protect the earth and environmentally-responsible farmers are included in Farm Bill negotiations!

Our farming practices have a major impact on the health of our environment. Every five years or so Congress writes a new Farm Bill, the legislative package of federal farm and food legislation that sets the farm, food, and rural policy goals and priorities for our nation. A conference committee will begin meeting to negotiate differences in the legislation passed by the House and Senate earlier this year, and a full Farm Bill will hopefully be finalized this Fall.

Basic conservation requirements to protect against soil erosion and wetland drainage have been a condition of receiving farm subsidies since 1985. This so-called “conservation compliance” policy has dramatically reduced soil erosion on farmland and protected wetlands, keeping land productive and natural resources intact. Unfortunately the largest federal farm support program—crop insurance—is exempt from complying with these standards. Learn more about conservation compliance.

Farm policies should support agricultural practices that are good for farmers, good for the environment, and good for America. Take action – your Member of Congress has been appointed to the conference committee that will work out differences in the Farm Bills that were passed by the House and Senate. Please urge your Member to renew and strengthen the conservation compact between farmers and taxpayers by requiring conservation compliance for recipients of federal crop insurance subsidies.

Check to see if your senator or representative are on the Farm bill Conference Committee and take action below!

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