The elements of a successful farm bill

Excerpt

The 1995 Farm Bill debate has begun. It occurs at a moment in our nation's political history when change is really in the air. We have a new administration and a new post-cold-war world. We are forging new and far-reaching trade alliances and challenging Americans to consider new possibilities in health care, welfare, education, and technology.

In this climate, is it enough for us to dust off the 1990 Farm Bill, slap on a new set of tires, change the oil, and drive on for another five years?

I don't think so. As tempting as it is in Washington to make incremental changes, that approach is a guarantee that agricultura1 policy will always be a few steps behind the front rank of the economic parade.

The basic farm programs that began with FDR survive today in principle. But 60 years later our nation and our world are radically different. Let me share with you some thoughts on farm policy-its origins, why it must change, and where it might go.

Franklin Roosevelt's Farm Belt was a disaster. First and foremost, American farmers in the 30s lived in poverty. Farm operator families had …