October 29, 2001
Contact: Loni Kemp, Minnesota Project, (507) 743-8300 Niel Ritchie, IATP, (612) 870-3405 Michael Noble, ME3, (651) 225-1133
Farm Bill a Crucial Opportunity
Minneapolis - Over 20 diverse organizations have sent a letter to the Senate Agriculture Committee, calling for policies that promote renewable energy production in Midwest agricultural regions. With the Senate currently discussing the reauthorization of the federal farm bill, an immediate opportunity exists to formulate policies that benefit farmers, energy security, and the environment.
Gary Goldberg, CEO of the American Corn Growers Foundation, strongly supports on-farm renewable energy production. "The current federal farm policy has drastically failed to support the nation's agricultural producers," says Goldberg. "Promoting renewable energy production is a low-cost method that the government can utilize to provide real help to U.S. farmers."
"We often talk about trying to find new markets for our farmers," says Niel Ritchie, National Farm Organizer for the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. "Well, we have one right here in the US that has been completely ignored. US citizens are the largest consumers of energy - there is no reason why farmers can't have that market instead of foreign oil."
Loni Kemp, Senior Policy Analyst with the Minnesota Project added, "The US taxpayer is sick and tired of doling out subsidies to big agriculture. We have the opportunity in this current farm bill to create incentive-based policies, so farmers are paid for services that the public wants, like clean energy and environmental conservation. Furthermore, energy production creates a whole new rural industry, with new jobs and new money cycled into these communities."
Advances in renewable energy technology have made these new energy sources very competitive with traditional sources. Many parts of the Midwest and Great Plains have tremendous wind resources, and new turbines are going on-line throughout the Midwest. Producing energy from crops, like ethanol and biomass production, is also a growing industry. Farmers are also exploring other methods of producing energy such as capturing and burning the methane in manure.
Michael Noble, Executive Director for Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy, notes that on-farm renewable energy production is also valuable for energy security. "Since September 11, enhancing security, particularly energy security, is of critical importance. Small, distributed energy sources can best serve the public while also ensuring security and environmental protection."
The coalition of groups has already received strong support for this initiative from several Senators on the Agricultural Committee. Several small changes in federal farm policy - such as technical and financial assistance for renewable energy and federal purchasing programs - could provide a significant boost in on-farm renewable energy production. The agenda is available on IATP's web site at http://www.iatp.org/enviroag.:
