Oxfam letter

I've been getting into trying to learn more about the farm bill and trying to do my bit for reforming it. Anyway, I signed onto this letter from Oxfam to our great Senators regarding cotton subsidies. I know Oxfam is looking for more farmers and farm related organizations to sign on, if you want to, email Stephanie Demmons at Oxfam sdemmons at oxfamamerica.org

The Honorable Senator Patrick Leahy
433 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Senator Bernard Sanders
332 Senate Dirksen Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators Leahy and Sanders,

The 2007 Farm Bill, currently under consideration in the US Senate, provides a powerful opportunity to reduce poverty at home and abroad. However, your leadership is needed! As Vermont residents, we are concerned about the effect of our agricultural policies not only here in the US but also abroad. And so, we are writing to request that you lead Senate efforts to reduce trade distorting subsidies for commodities such as cotton, which generate overproduction, reduce world market prices and undercut farmers in developing countries who depend on agriculture to survive.

Cotton subsidies are especially troubling with fewer than 25,000 producers receiving around three billion dollars in subsidies annually. Our taxpayer dollars encourage overproduction, creating a situation that drives down world prices, undermining the livelihoods of millions of small farmers around the world, many who live on just a dollar a day.

Unless the Senate acts, the huge government subsidies will continue, and so will the export dumping. According to a recent study by agricultural economist Dan Sumner of UC Davis, reforming US cotton subsidies would increase world cotton prices, resulting in additional income that could feed an additional million children for a year or pay school fees for at least two million children living in extremely poor West African cotton growing households. Cotton is the most important agricultural crop in West Africa, one of the poorest regions of the world.

Your leadership can bring about change. Please work to reduce our harmful trade distorting cotton subsidies, such as counter-cyclical and loan-deficiency payments.

In addition to the much needed reform of our trade distorting subsidies, I hope that you and your Senate colleagues will also:

* Provide full funding, a requested $500 million, for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers here at home. This will improve upon the $175 million authorized in the Farm Bill that was passed by the House of Representatives.

* Support local and regional procurement of international food aid to save lives, improve efficiency and save taxpayer dollars. Strong consideration should be given to a pilot project for ‘cash in lieu of commodities,’ such as taking $500 million from traditional farm-subsidy programs and giving the cash to governments and relief organizations abroad to buy food from local farmers.

I realize that these are complex issues. However, there can be no moral justification for providing millions in subsides to the wealthy, while millions around the world go hungry and struggle to send their children to school. You can succeed where the House of Representatives have failed. Please do not miss this rare and powerful opportunity to reduce poverty. Thank you for considering our request.

Sincerely,