Opinion: American Agriculture: A Call for Smarter Policies, Not Just More Exports
Source: The DairyNews
As farmers, we've responded to the global demand for our products, adapting our practices over the years to meet the needs of an interconnected world. "We had to. We feed the world," my grandfather emphasized, reflecting the ethos instilled in us by those urging continuous production.
The push for exports has been relentless. In 1990, overseas sales were just over $45 billion, skyrocketing to a staggering $196 billion in 2022, marking a record-breaking year. However, the stark reality is that simply increasing exports won't secure the future of our farming communities.
Consider the dairy sector in Wisconsin, the second-highest state for dairy farm bankruptcies between 2000 and 2019, trailing only behind California. Despite steady growth in dairy exports from 2003 to 2021, Wisconsin faced a concerning surge in farm bankruptcies in 2019 and 2020 before stabilizing in 2022.
These facts should prompt a reevaluation of how legislative decisions impact farmers. Recently, a group of congressional representatives criticized the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute settlement, questioning the continued limitations on dairy imports into Canada. While this agreement aimed to enhance access to Canadian markets for U.S. dairy exports, the dispute settlement has left unresolved issues.
The larger concern lies in how our legislators approach these challenges. Rather than fostering animosity between American and Canadian farmers, we should focus on implementing policies in the upcoming Farm Bill, set to expire in September this year.
An example is the National Family Farm Coalition's Milk from Family Dairies Act, supported by 94 organizations. This legislation proposes adjusting farmer payments based on production costs, implementing import and export controls, and reinforcing regional dairy infrastructure to establish fair, competitive markets.
Our experience on the farm has taught us that the pursuit of increased production and global exports doesn't work for the majority of farmers. It's time for legislators to prioritize policies that ensure fair prices for farmers, steering away from past mistakes and setting a course for a more sustainable agricultural future.
Based on the motives: The Manhattan Mercury
Anthony R. Pahnke
Consider the dairy sector in Wisconsin, the second-highest state for dairy farm bankruptcies between 2000 and 2019, trailing only behind California. Despite steady growth in dairy exports from 2003 to 2021, Wisconsin faced a concerning surge in farm bankruptcies in 2019 and 2020 before stabilizing in 2022.
These facts should prompt a reevaluation of how legislative decisions impact farmers. Recently, a group of congressional representatives criticized the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute settlement, questioning the continued limitations on dairy imports into Canada. While this agreement aimed to enhance access to Canadian markets for U.S. dairy exports, the dispute settlement has left unresolved issues.
The larger concern lies in how our legislators approach these challenges. Rather than fostering animosity between American and Canadian farmers, we should focus on implementing policies in the upcoming Farm Bill, set to expire in September this year.
An example is the National Family Farm Coalition's Milk from Family Dairies Act, supported by 94 organizations. This legislation proposes adjusting farmer payments based on production costs, implementing import and export controls, and reinforcing regional dairy infrastructure to establish fair, competitive markets.
Our experience on the farm has taught us that the pursuit of increased production and global exports doesn't work for the majority of farmers. It's time for legislators to prioritize policies that ensure fair prices for farmers, steering away from past mistakes and setting a course for a more sustainable agricultural future.
Based on the motives: The Manhattan Mercury
Anthony R. Pahnke
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