Date: February 15, 2012 Creator: Chite, Ralph M. Description:
Congress periodically establishes agricultural and food policy
in an omnibus farm bill. The 112th Congress faces
reauthorization of the current five-year farm bill because many
of its provisions expire in 2012. The 2008 farm bill contained
15 titles covering farm commodity support, horticulture,
livestock, conservation, nutrition assistance, international
food aid, trade, agricultural research, farm credit, rural
development, bioenergy, and forestry, among others. Leaders of
the House and Senate Agriculture Committees anticipate having a
new farm bill completed before the end of this session. If the
current farm bill expires without a new authorization or a
temporary extension, it automatically would be replaced with
permanent statutes for farm commodity support, which are not
fully compatible with current national economic objectives,
global trading rules, and federal budgetary or regulatory
policies. Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries Government