By Crystal Swann
July 2, 2012

The United States Senate passed the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act, better known as the Farm Bill, on June 21 with a bipartisan vote of 64-35. The legislation authorizes programs for five-years and totals nearly a trillion dollars.

Earlier this year, the Conference of Mayors expressed to Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member Pat Roberts of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in a letter, the priorities of cities around the country. During the Orlando Annual Meeting of the Conference of Mayors, the mayors unanimously adopted policy calling for key priorities in the Farm Bill including maintaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding; strengthening the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); assuring full funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program; increasing healthy food choices for vulnerable populations, strengthening agriculture conservation programs, and supporting local, and regional food systems.

The Senate's Farm Bill cut SNAP funding by $4.5 billion over the next ten years and rejected an amendment that would have redirected some crop insurance funds to compensate for this cut. However, the Senate bill provides $100 million to fund Hunger-Free Community Incentive Grants, a new program that encourages the use of SNAP benefits to purchase local fruit and vegetable at farmers markets and $147 million increase for TEFAP. In conjunction, the bill provides the framework necessary to continue making it easier to use SNAP benefits at farmers markets and mobile markets or for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) packages. The Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program was maintained at $20 million.

A critical strategy to improve food access in underserved neighborhoods is increasing healthy food retail. The Senate bill sets aside $125 million in Healthy Food Financing Initiatives to attract and support these new retailers. The bill also encourages local food production by through the Community Food Projects Program and supports food hubs through the Farmers Market Promotion Program; funding for both of these initiatives was doubled. In addition, the bill provides funding for two demonstration projects to test new electronic benefits transfer (EBT) technologies. One project would allow retailers to redeem SNAP EBT through mobile devices or other means other than wired point of sales devices. The other would allow the use of SNAP EBT for online transactions such as grocery store delivery services.

Additionally, the bill introduces a five'state Farm-to'school pilot program that allows schools to purchase locally sourced food in place of USDA commodities and funds the Department of Defense Fresh program at 2008 Farm Bill levels. Lastly, the Senate Farm bill requires conservation compliance for crop insurance recipients.

The Conference of Mayors issued a press release commending the Senate leadership including Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Roberts and Majority Leader Harry Reid for their leadership in moving the legislation through the Senate.

"We see hunger and poverty in our cities every day and we know that without a plan to revitalize our economy, our families and children will continue to need this safety net program. At the same time, we mayors also see the "food revolution" that is occurring in our cities — more farmers markets, more urban farms, more small and growing food ventures that create jobs and better meals in our schools. We are pleased to see several initiatives in this legislation that will support these creative local efforts, and commend the US Department of Agriculture and a growing number of Senators and Representatives for their support. Now it is time for action in the House, and America's Mayors will continue the fight for healthier food and stronger local food economies," remarked Conference of Mayors Food Policy Task Force Chair Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Vice Chair Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

The House of Representatives plan to take up their Farm Bill on July 11. Once approved the two bills will have to be reconciled in conference.