WASHINGTON — A long-delayed farm bill that could benefit Virginia farmers by restoring funding for climate-smart investments has been pending in Congress for months. .
Some lawmakers hope the bill will expand funding for programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to prioritize conservation. There is. The program was allocated approximately $250 million, but received more than 9,000 applications, totaling $475 million.
Gabriel Walton, federal campaign manager for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said the popularity of these programs proves their need.
“With this money, not only will they be able to practice more efficiently and maintain the environment they love and are so attached to, but they will also have money that they can spend on other things. You save money,” she said. It will bring stability to their wallets in the future. ”
One problem with the new farm bill is the proposed increase in so-called “reference prices,” but critics say this will only benefit large-scale farming operations and will not allow for more widely used social and that it would come at the expense of climate-smart programs.
Walton said he believes political differences and competing priorities are preventing a new farm bill from becoming a reality.
The previous farm bill was extended until September of this year, but lawmakers said they aim to have a bill ready by Memorial Day. In addition to climate-smart investments, the Farm Bill also funds social safety net programs.
Jeff Horsfield, policy director for the Environmental Working Group, said people don’t always know how much nutrition programs can help families.
“There’s a misconception that things like SNAP only benefit urban communities. And we know that’s not true. People in every county need access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, these social programs. “We rely on some of them to make a living,” he said. meet. “
SNAP and other nutrition programs received 75% of their funding in the 2018 Farm Bill. More than 876,000 Virginians rely on SNAP and EBT benefits, as food insecurity is a perennial problem in the state.
