Why we shouldn't forget the Farm Bill

[nosmokes]

This is an absolute outrage! WTF is the gov't doing promoting this GMO shit w/ discounted premiums while still charging organic producers more than conventional farmers even? Where the hell is the vision in this scheme? It's not like agbiotech isn't getting enough of a hall pass from the gov't, what w/ not having to be labeled and being approved by the FDA w/o any sort of adequate testing and even w/ the FDA's own scientists raising grave concerns about the safety but being over-ruled by political appointees.It's not Kool-aid they're drinking, it's Round-up.
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original-grist

Why we shouldn't forget the Farm Bill

Posted by Aimee Witteman at 1:55 PM on 02 Oct 2007

Once again, a prime example of our misguided farm policies hits like a ton of factory-farm manure sludge -- or in this case, a massive sack of federally insured, genetically modified corn.
Last Wednesday, Monsanto announced that the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) approved a pilot program that will give farmers a 20 percent discount on insurance premiums if they plant a majority of their corn acres with seeds featuring Monsanto's trademarked YieldGard Plus with Roundup Ready Corn 2 or YieldGard VT Triple stack technology. This is the first time the FCIC Board has approved a crop insurance discount for specific crop traits, but not likely the last.

For the moment, let's set aside the potentially sordid nature of this public/private arrangement. What is particularly ironic and imbalanced is that organic producers pay an extra 5 percent surcharge when they sign up for crop insurance because of the perceived additional risks associated with organic production.

That's right. Organic producers are actually penalized for using production practices that have been shown to lessen risks.

Simply put, this is bad policy that should be reformed when the Senate takes up the farm bill this month.

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complete article here

[TwilightGardener]

1. Why not? FORMER Ag Secretary Mike Johanns already did--gotta run for Senate, don't-cha know.