[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 510 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 510

Expressing the sense of the Congress on the importance of revitalizing 
                            family farming.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 6, 2004

 Mr. LaTourette (for himself and Mr. Kucinich) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                              Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress on the importance of revitalizing 
                            family farming.

Whereas new, young farmers are needed to replenish the ranks of family farmers 
        now of retirement age and today's family farmers need programs that 
        enable them to survive;
Whereas a vibrant agriculture sector consisting of family-owned farms is 
        essential to our national and regional economies, the diversity of seed 
        stocks and animal bloodlines, preservation of the environment, and the 
        availability of nutritious food;
Whereas economic viability for family-owned farms requires that farmers retain 
        at the farm gate a greater share of the retail price for goods;
Whereas the expansion of marketing concepts such as the producer direct-to-
        consumer farmers markets and community-supported agriculture programs 
        would help farmers realize that goal;
Whereas the ability to form associations for the purposes of collectively 
        bargaining with processors over the terms of their contracts would help 
        contract growers realize that goal;
Whereas the production of biofuels from farm commodities will also provide a 
        useful, environmentally beneficial, potentially profitable product for 
        farmers to produce;
Whereas it is possible to foster economic growth in the family farm sector 
        through programs encouraging institutional purchase of family farm-
        produced foods;
Whereas programs aimed at engendering greater farmer participation in 
        environmentally sustainable production practices, including organic 
        methods, have gone underfunded;
Whereas the United States Government could adopt policies that put land and 
        capital into the hands of qualified new farmer applicants and ensure 
        equity in the delivery of all Department of Agriculture credit and farm 
        programs;
Whereas potentially millions of individuals could find new work in the farming 
        sector if these Federal policies and marketing concepts were expanded; 
        and
Whereas free trade agreements that create reliance on food producers in other 
        nations at the expense of family farmers in the United States tend to 
        undermine efforts to strengthen and grow our family farm-based food 
        system: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That it is the sense of Congress that the United States must commit all 
necessary resources to encourage growth in the number of family farms, 
to develop and fully fund programs that facilitate a return of family 
farmers to the land, to ensure that farmers receive an income adequate 
to covering cost of production plus a fair profit for food, fiber, and 
biofuel producers, to make foreign trade policy that is consistent with 
these aims, and to protect the efforts of farmers themselves to 
organize for their economic viability.
                                 <all>