Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the 2008 Farm Bill conference report, legislation that increases funding for important nutrition programs, California specialty crops, and conservation programs. 

“This is by no means a perfect bill, but it is a great improvement over our current, out-dated farm policy which for too long has hurt California’s farmers and growers,” Senator Boxer said. 

Boxer continued, “This Farm Bill contains provisions to help California’s specialty crops, critically-needed funding for food stamps and nutrition programs, as well as important titles on conservation, renewable energy, and pollinator protection.  I believe we should have done more in this bill to reform our commodities program, but at the end of the day, this is a bill that will provide significant benefits to California, our consumers, our farmers and our environment.”

During negotiations over the final conference report, Boxer used procedural measures to block efforts to weaken important conservation programs in the bill.   After placing a hold on a temporary extension of the existing Farm Bill, Boxer convinced the conferees to remove provisions designed to limit full time farmers’ access to conservation programs and impose restrictions on the participation of California farmers in programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, as well to modify the timeline for payment under the Wetlands Reserve Program.

“We need to encourage, not restrict, participation in conservation programs such as those that help us restore and protect our wetlands, clean our air and conserve and improve our water resources,” Boxer said.

The bill also includes $170 million in emergency disaster assistance funds to assist fishermen and businesses in California, Oregon and Washington that have been severely impacted by the complete closure of the commercial and recreational salmon seasons.

Boxer said, “Our fishing communities are not to blame for the dramatic decline in our salmon population, yet they have been subjected to incredible financial hardship as a result of the decision to close the fishing season.  This funding will help our fishermen and their families get through this tough time, but we still must work to change our current policies so that we can improve the health of our rivers and restore our wild salmon populations.”

The following provisions by Boxer were included in the Farm Bill conference report:

Air Quality Improvements in Agricultural Areas:  In rural areas around the country, smog and soot are threatening public health, fouling communities, and reducing crop productivity from pollution generated on farms.  Senator Boxer joined forces with Congressman Cardoza to include language authorizing a new program in the existing Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) that will allocate $150 million in funds over the next five years toward air quality mitigation efforts in agricultural communities with poor air quality.  USDA has invested money in California since 1998 that has produced measurable and permanent pollution reductions in a region that has some of the worst air quality in the nation.  With this new program in place, these efforts can be expanded in California and replicated throughout the nation.

Boxer said, “People who live in agricultural areas deserve clean air, and my new program will help USDA partner with farmers and ranchers to address air quality concerns in the Central Valley and rural areas throughout the country.”

 Pollinator Protection Act:  This provision authorizes up to $100 million over five years for high priority research dedicated to maintaining and protecting our honey bee and native pollinator populations. There has been a loss of about 25 percent of the nation’s honey bee population, and it is estimated that crops nationwide that depend on a healthy honey bee and native pollinator population are valued near $18 billion.

Protecting Sugar Beet Farmers and Hundreds of Jobs in Fresno County

Senator Boxer helped negotiate a change in the national sugar allocation program that will provide a sugar beet grower cooperative in the Central Valley with the necessary allocation to continue growing sugar beets and keep the Mendota sugar refinery open.  The grower cooperative is working to purchase the sugar refinery from an out-of-state owner, and if successful, they will keep the refinery operating and save 400 full-time and seasonal jobs in Fresno County, where the March unemployment rate was 11.1 percent.

Pest Detection and Surveillance Act:  This provision authorizes $407 million to give USDA the authority to enter into cooperative funding agreements with States to enhance their pest and disease detection and surveillance programs and increase inspections at domestic points of entry, implement pest trapping systems, and create pest eradication and prevention programs, among many other pest detection and surveillance initiatives.

“These provisions will help protect California’s agricultural economy from harmful pests and diseases and keep our farmers competitive,” Senator Boxer said.

Preservation of 40-year old meat inspection laws:  The House-passed bill included language that would allow meat and poultry plants to forgo federal inspections in favor of more lax and uneven state-run inspections— potentially putting the health of millions of Americans at risk.  Senator Boxer worked with Senator Harkin, consumer groups and labor unions to protect the integrity of the federal meat inspection process.

“In the wake of the largest recall of beef in our nation’s history, Congress should be working to strengthen food safety standards, not rolling back the federal government’s crucial role in protecting our people,” Senator Boxer said.

Regional Watershed Enhancement: The Sacramento River watershed and other national regional watersheds have been identified by conservation groups as watersheds most in need of water quality and water quantity enhancement.  Senator Boxer worked to ensure that the Sacramento River watershed is treated as a priority-funding area.

 Protection Against Use of Harmful Pesticides

Senator Boxer led the effort to prevent the inclusion of language that would have jeopardized the ability of conservation managers to encourage the use of the safest, least toxic, and most environmentally-friendly pesticides in carrying out activities under key Farm Bill programs.  The House-passed bill included this harmful provision at the urging of pesticide manufacturers and it would have tied the hands of local managers to encourage viable alternatives to pesticides that can be harmful to our air, water, wildlife, pollinators, and human health.  As a result of Senator Boxer’s efforts, the conferees removed the offending House language from the final bill.

Edible Schoolyards: The bill strengthens the Access to Local Foods and School Gardens program by supporting the development of school curriculum that teaches the principles of ecology, origins of food, and promotes healthy food choices. This language supports the replication of the successful Edible Schoolyard program in Berkeley, CA.  The bill also includes $50 million over five years in mandatory funding for the Community Foods Program, which funds programs like edible schoolyards. 

Bio-Fuels Infrastructure Study: Senator Boxer helped design a Biofuels Infrastructure Study that directs USDA, Department of Energy, and EPA to conduct a study on the infrastructure needs associated with significant expansion of biofuels production and use.

Avocado Marketing Order Agreement:  Includes language requiring USDA to establish procedures to set minimum quality standards for imported Hass avocados.  Current USDA import standards do not include a minimum maturity requirement for Hass avocados.

The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 81-15.  The House passed the bill by a vote of 318-106 yesterday.  The bill now goes the President’s desk, though he has threatened to veto the legislation. 

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