Excerpt
MANY political leaders have heralded the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 as a marriage between conservation (the bride) and agricultural policy (the bridegroom). A close look at this relationship during 1986 leads one to believe that only an engagement occurred. It appears there were many promises of future commitments, but the groom may delay the actual marriage date to spend more time with his old friends.
This engagement may come as a surprise to some conservationists who thought the vows were witnessed and the marriage consummated. But the 1985 farm bill made some strange bedfellows, and the promises made during the heat of debate carried no guarantee they would be respected tomorrow. Agricultural leaders are reconsidering all the options in 1987, and conservationists must likewise prepare to seek new and better commitments.
While there is no assurance of new farm legislation in 1987, there is every reason to believe the cost of the Food Security Act will lead to major debates and significant modifications in the 1985 law. A $26 billion farm program that is often ineffective and counter-productive cannot be ignored. While the conservation community must protect its provisions in the 1985 farm …
Footnotes
Duane Sand is the resourceful farming project director for the lowa Natural Heritage Foundation, 505 Fifth Avenue, Des Moines, lowa 50309.
- Copyright 1987 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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