Capture the Ag

Barack Obama unveils agriculture plan

Posted at 8:41 AM on 17 Oct 2007

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama unveiled his agriculture plan yesterday on the campaign trail in Iowa. The plan includes all kinds of proposals that the Obama camp hopes will excite rural Americans -- particularly those who reside in early-primary states. Obama's ag plans include increasing funding to help farmers transition to organic, reforming the USDA's crop-insurance program so it doesn't penalize organic farmers, requiring country-of-origin labeling on meat products, enforcing stricter pollution regulations for CAFOs (concentrated animal-feeding operations), increasing use of ethanol and other biofuels by requiring 60 billion gallons of biofuels in the nation's fuel supply by 2030, and limiting subsidies to huge agribusiness operations. "Too many family farmers are being squeezed as big agribusiness take up larger shares of federal subsidies, takes up more market share, manipulates prices and contracts, makes it harder for family farmers to control how they run their own farms," Obama said.

sources: The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register
straight to the plan: Barack Obama's Rural Plan
see also, in Grist: An interview with Barack Obama about his presidential platform on energy and the environment
see also, in Gristmill: Thoughts and reactions on Obama's new energy proposal

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Comments: (5 comments)

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Still not good enough for me

He still doesn't mention genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) or industrialized hemp, so why even bother making an agriculture plan?

Guess who does mention those two things...

Check out this video if you don't mind the word BS

by askantik at 10:54 AM on 17 Oct 2007

Buzzed on Ethanol

Senator Obama is clearly buzzed by the Iowa Caucuses and not seeing clearly. Not seeing the loss of top soil in the midwest, nor the dead zones that can be found in the gulf of mexico.

Want the real scoop on Biofules, check out:
The Rush to Ethanol: Not All Biofuels Are Created Equal.

Shaun Chapman Communication Manager Network for New Energy Choices 212.991.1831

by Network for New Energy Choices at 10:54 AM on 17 Oct 2007

Oh and...

I forgot to mention, I meant Dennis, of course. As if you haven't figured out who I support by now :)

by askantik at 10:55 AM on 17 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

GMO is the big ag topic for me

genetically-modified organisms (GMOs)

Exactly. Nobody will talk about this. But is is much too late as nearly all food in N.A. is already GM. We missed our chance years ago to simply have labeling of GM products like much of Europe has. Your food is patented and it is unknown what catastrophe awaits us down the road. Not to mention the taste and lack of nutrition as nature intended.

If you think that fast food is safe because they offer salads now, think again.

by Vikingsson at 8:42 AM on 18 Oct 2007

Most of these sound

like positive, reasonable steps. It's bizarre to me that our farm policy is as crazy as it is.

by farmboy27 at 12:33 PM on 17 Nov 2007

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