Weekly Views From The Secretary

What's the Goal?

September 22, 2006

What is the current primary goal of federal efforts to influence agricultural production in America?

We have been debating the farm policy of the United States Government for many years. Each time there is a new farm bill in the works, we start all over again with no clear picture of what we are doing, as far as I can tell.

I recently attended the annual national conference for state departments of agriculture and listened to arguments for and against our crop subsidy system and disaster assistance programs.

After all that listening and talking, I still can't tell what the primary goal is.

Is it cheap food? Is it boosting rural income? Is it keeping good stewards on the land? Is it creating biodiversity? Is it growing more ducks? Is it creating more bargaining chips to use in the international trading arena?

Those are all possible goals, but shouldn’t there be one primary, over-riding goal or objective that gives policy a sense of direction?

In any system or program with multiple goals, there will be times when stated goals are in competition with each other or in direct conflict with each other. Many of the stated agricultural policy goals are competing or conflicting. Only a primary goal can give us direction when competing goals are in conflict.

For many years, cheap food was named as the primary goal. It is true that having an adequate safe food supply is an absolute necessity for any nation. Many countries cannot produce all they need and are dependent upon imports. We import food too, but we could survive without it. Some nations cannot.

Is food security the real primary goal of the congressional direction to USDA (the United States Department of Agriculture)? I don't know. I am not sure you can find a congressman or senator who knows.

If food security is the current primary goal of federal farm policy, are we going about it the right way? Are the subsidies directed at the food products we really need or toward the ones some particular group wants to promote?

These are all questions our leaders need to answer. These are all questions we must continue to ask until they do.

You might be surprised to learn that at one time getting rid of small unsustainable farms was a goal of Congress and USDA. Now it seems they have reversed their thinking on that.

I have no idea what the current primary goal of United States farm policy is. I sure hope somebody does.

"The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office." --Will Rogers