In 2008, prior to Barack Obama becoming president, we defined our nine policy positions for agriculture that could serve as a blueprint for the incoming administration. These policies directly addressed and corrected the six major areas causing the breakdown of our food and farming system.

Restoring a healthy food system, and to stop undermining food security abroad, would require making public welfare and not corporate profit the guiding principle. In some cases this requires enforcing existing laws and regulations. In others, years worth of corporate welfare, perverse incentives and misplaced priorities would require new initiatives as replacements.

By using targeted policy we can redesign our food and farming system to directly benefit our rural communities, farmers and ranchers, consumers and human and environmental health.

This paper was included as a chapter in the book "Mandate for Change. Policies and Leadership for 2009 and Beyond". Edited by Chester Hartman.