Since the 1930’s and the Great Depression about every 5-years the U.S. Congress adopts a Farm Bill. The Farm Bill contains production agriculture & food policies under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farm Bill titles include Commodity Programs, Conservation, Trade, Nutrition, Credit, Rural Development, Research & Extension, Forestry, Energy, Horticulture and Crop Insurance.
Similar to U.S. demographics, Members of Congress today are further removed from the farm than in previous decades. Moreover, farm policy is complex as it includes public policies across varying sectors of the U.S. economy that impacts agriculture, the environment, international trade and social nutrition programs. As we mentioned in our previous farm bill article , Congress has struggled to timely adopt farm bills since the 1990’s.
Consider:
- To save budget dollars the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66) reduced and extended many commodity support provisions beyond 1995. Thus the 1995 Farm Bill wasn’t signed into law until April 1996.
- What should have been a 2007 Farm Bill was not enacted until June 2008. It required six temporary extensions of most programs in the 2002 Farm Bill.
- The 2008 Farm Bill had to be extended into 2013 and Congress adopted the 2014 Farm Bill in February of that year.
At stake is about $100 billion annually! Simply put, the Farm Bill touches everyone, every day. All of our food, fiber and renewable fuel and energy is derived from the farm or benefits from programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many constituencies benefiting from a farm bill are represented by multiple, effective organizations. Below is a list of organizations who represent a large variety of these constituencies and showcases the diverse breadth of stakeholders that influence the outcome of each farm bill. In general represented below are: farm production, consumers, grocery stores, biotechnology, animal vaccine makers, grain handlers, fruit and vegetables, SNAP recipients, nutritionists, international trade, biofuels & energy interests and food safety. These organizations and companies are charged with looking out for the best interest of their products, commodities, or constituent members.
(Source: U.S. Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act Reporting)
- Abbott Laboratories
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- AgriBank
- Agricultural Retailers Association
- Alliance for Olive Oil Quality Standards
- Archer Daniels Midlands Corporation
- Association of California Egg Farmers
- Croplife America
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Crystal Sugar
- American Farm Bureau Federation
- American Farmland Trust
- American Forest & Paper Association
- American Iron & Steel Institute
- American Malting Barley Association
- American Meat Institute
- American Peanut Shellers Association
- American Public Power Association
- American Public Works Association
- American Seed Trade Association
- American Soybean Association
- American Sugar Alliance
- American Sugar Beet Growers Association
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- Anheuser-Busch Companies
- Association of Equipment Manufacturers
- Association of American Railroads
- American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers
- The Nature Conservancy
- Merial Limited (animal vaccines)
- American Bankers Association
- Canned Manufacturers
- American Horticulture
- Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc
- Bayer, Inc
- Biotechnology Industry Organization
- American Beverage Association
- University of Illinois
- BNSF Railways
- Elanco Animal Health
- South Dakota State University
- Dairy Farmers of America
- Deere and Company
- Dunkin Brands, Inc
- Exxon Mobile
- Food Marketing Institute
- Grocery Manufacturers Association
- Growth Energy
- Hubbs Sea World Research Institute
- Advanced Biofuels Association
- Marathon Petroleum
- National Association of Wheat Growers
- National Corn Growers Association
- National Cattlemens Beef Association
- National Chicken Council
- National Farmers Union
- National Pork Producers Association
- Purdue University
- Koch Companies
- Kraft Heinz Company
- American Society of Plant Biologists
- Comcast Cable (broadband)
- National Restaurant Association
- Tufts University
- New Mexico State University
- The Transportation Institute
- Michigan State University
- California Avocado Commission
- California Agricultural Commissioners & Sealers
- National Potato Council
- Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
- Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau
- Snack Foods Association
- Dean Foods
- National Cotton Council
- National Milk Producers Federation
- National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
- National Taxpayers Union
- National Turkey Federation
- Catfish Farmers of America
- Monsanto
- National Association of Professional Insurance Agents
- Pepsico
- Nestle
- Mars, Inc
- National Confectioners Association
- Baylor University
- Clemson University
- Safeway
- Sierra Club
- California Citrus Mutual
- American Pistachio Growers
- Syngenta
- Blue Diamond (Almond) Growers
- Western Growers Association
- Union Pacific
- University of California
- Wisconsin Counties Association
- US Cattlemen Association
- YUM! Brands
Make sure your voice is heard in the upcoming Farm Bill debate. You will need in-depth, successful experience that Cansler Consulting can deliver to ensure your policies are elevated above the multiple constituencies involved. Call us today, 202-220-3150.
At Cansler Consulting we understand that in Washington, D.C. change is the only constant. Advocacy in Washington is also changing and we are at the forefront using new technologies and data to help us focus on strategies that improve our client's return on investment. Our core lobbying strategies are driven by the value at stake from federal legislative & regulatory actions. Leading studies indicate that today's business value impacted by government and regulatory action, or inaction can reach as high as 30 percent of earnings for most companies.
With as much as one-third of earnings at stake, it is imperative that companies, industries and organizations engage in government relations.
If you need effective representation from a bipartisan, entrepreneurial government relations firm contact Cansler Consulting. We are certified by the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics and have decades of experience assisting clients in issue areas including Agriculture, Budget & Appropriations, Food Safety, Transportation & Infrastructure, International Trade and Energy. Through our relationships established in Washington, D.C. and throughout the U.S. for over two decades we can help you the legislative and regulatory processes on Capitol Hill and inside federal agencies. You can contact us at
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