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Bloomberg Businessweek reported yesterday that corn and soybean futures are down 3 to 5 cents a bushel, while wheat futures are up by a few pennies. Market speculation sees a coming rise in price per bushel of soybean and wheat if a cold snap reduces production in the US. The fluctuation in cost between units of food commodities may get stock market traders excited, but the price uncertainty is a significant cause for concern among farmers. Stabilizing prices, and thus the incomes of farmers and the sustainability of their enterprises, is one of many things a revised 2012 Farm Bill could do, if the political will exists to get it done. The bill is up for reauthorization, as it is every five years. It’s a complex piece of legislation. Roughly 2/3 of Farm Bill funding is dedicated to providing food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. A sliver of it goes to innovative, community specific programs that support local agriculture and healthy eating. Roughly one-third goes to direct payments to farmers. This is the most controversial aspect of the bill, opposed by many of the same people who care passionately about seeing small farms proliferate nationwide to increase access to fresh, healthy products. Subsidies to farmers have a reputation for being government welfare for unsustainable farming that produces corn and soybean crops used as animal feed, and for processed food manufacturers. Congress is poised to slash funding for the Farm Bill, sending Food and Water Watch on a mission to reeducate, and solicit support for revised legislation. The organization says a better bill will include subsidies, and mechanisms to ensure the money isn’t simply buoying the profit margins of agribusiness monopolies.

GUEST: Patty Lovera, Assistant Director of Food and Water Watch

Patty Lovera recommends the following local events and actions:

– Sept 14-18, 2011: Good Food Festival and Conference in Santa Monica. More at goodfoodfestivals.com.

– Sept 22, 2011: Hunger Action Day in LA, 2011. More at http://www.hungeractionla.org/dox/Hunge_Day_Sept_22.pdf

Find out more about Food and Watch Watch at www.foodandwaterwatch.org or 323-843-8446.