New Episode of Resources Radio on the Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, DC—Resources for the Future (RFF) released a new installment of Resources Radio: “Exploring the Farm Bill, with RFF's Ann M. Bartuska.”
Host Daniel Raimi talks with RFF Vice President for Land, Water, and Nature Ann M. Bartuska about the Farm Bill. Bartuska discusses the historical background of the Farm Bill, and highlights how this bill relates to land conservation, environmental quality, agricultural research, forest management, and climate change.
Notable quotes from the podcast:
- “This most recent [Farm Bill] is authorized at $428.3 billion over five years. And so, it's huge—it's a huge investment. But 80 percent of that is the nutrition programs, and so I think that just tells you that the whole notion behind the Farm Bill is as a safety net. It's to provide stability, and it's to be able to maintain a healthy food economy for the United States first and foremost.”—Ann M. Bartuska (7:19)
- “In addition, one of the newer programs—called the Regional Conservation Partnership program—enables farmers or producers to work with other private landowners and public land managers so that you have a much more integrated approach to conservation strategies at a watershed scale. And for those of us who deal with environmental issues, that kind of a scale gives you a much greater opportunity to affect change than if you're just dealing with a small plot or an individual farm field.”—Ann M. Bartuska (11:38)
- “What's not known so much about the Farm Bill is there's actually a forestry title. So, it's not just about agricultural lands, but also about the opportunities to bring forests into the equation . . . So to be able to have a more integrated approach to a forest practices and conservation practices is again, one of the changes that have taken place.”—Ann M. Bartuska (12:18)
Resources Radio is a weekly podcast series exploring timely environmental, energy, and natural resources topics, and can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.
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