[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 36 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 36

                 Supporting the Farmers Bill of Rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 11, 2020

   Mr. Booker (for himself and Mr. Merkley) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
                 Supporting the Farmers Bill of Rights.

Whereas the Center for American Progress reported mergers and acquisitions have 
        increased corporate concentration across agricultural markets, including 
        monopolizing 85 percent market share of the corn seed market through the 
        4 largest firms in the seed sector;
Whereas according to the Open Markets Institute, the excessive concentration in 
        the poultry industry has resulted in half of chicken farmers working in 
        regions dominated by only 1 or 2 processing monopolies, leaving them 
        with little, if any, bargaining power for better contracts or growing 
        terms;
Whereas the Organization for Competitive Markets reported cattle prices paid to 
        farmers from 2013 to 2016 dropped by 13 percent, while during the same 
        period prices paid for beef by consumers at the grocery store increased 
        by 4 percent, leading them to conclude that the prices paid to farmers 
        and by consumers are not the result of a fair and just market;
Whereas corporate concentration and abusive practices in America's food and farm 
        sector are at detrimental highs, harming consumers, rural communities 
        and family farmers and ranchers, including historically underserved 
        farmers and ranchers, by--

    (1) diminishing the availability of seed choice;

    (2) limiting the accessibility of domestic farming lands;

    (3) increasing food prices and market manipulation; and

    (4) hindering access to traditional foodways and agricultural 
practices;

Whereas according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, farm loan 
        delinquencies are at a 6-year high and have increased over the past 24 
        quarters;
Whereas increasing farm debt, decreasing incomes, and deteriorating overall 
        conditions for family farmers and ranchers have caused farm foreclosures 
        and chapter 12 bankruptcies to steadily increase over the past year;
Whereas, according to the 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special 
        Report, agriculture, forestry, and other land use activities accounted 
        for 23 percent of net global anthropogenic emissions contributing to 
        human-induced climate change, which is resulting in the ongoing 
        deterioration of food systems, including irreversible impacts to the 
        traditional farming practices and foodways of indigenous peoples and 
        their lands;
Whereas, according to the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, the 
        foreign acquisition of and increasing investments in American farmlands 
        and agribusiness presents a risk to food system security and contributes 
        to increasing prices of the country's farmland beyond the financial 
        ability of local residents to purchase domestic farm land; and
Whereas monopolization and an increase of large corporations and foreign 
        interests in America's farming sector, combined with a changing climate, 
        creates an unprecedented negative impact on the regional economic 
        strength and security of rural and Tribal communities: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),

SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    That--
            (1) the Congress recognizes the many contributions that 
        family farmers and ranchers, including historically underserved 
        farmers and ranchers, have made to America's agricultural 
        industry, local food production, food sovereignty, rich variety 
        of the country's abundant food supply, and traditional and 
        cultural agricultural practices; and
            (2) it is the sense of the Congress that the Federal 
        Government should encourage support for family farmers and 
        ranchers, in rural communities and on indigenous lands, and 
        ensure access to open and fair agricultural markets in the 
        United States, by introducing the Farmers Bill of Rights.

SEC. 2. FARMERS BILL OF RIGHTS.

    The Farmer's Bill of Rights is as follows:
            (1) Right to fair, open markets.--There must be a 
        competitive open marketplace to buy seeds, fertilizer, and 
        other goods, and to sell produce, livestock, and meat for all 
        people. It has become nearly impossible for independent 
        farmers, processors, seed suppliers, mechanics, and other rural 
        businesses to compete with multinational monopolies. Farmers 
        need strong antitrust safeguards.
            (2) Right to feed their community.--Multinational 
        corporations have taken control of the country's food system by 
        shutting out independent processing and distribution 
        businesses, consequentially locking farmers out of their local 
        markets and denying domestic consumers local, regional, and 
        culturally traditional foods. In the United States, Native 
        Americans suffer from the highest rates of food insecurity with 
        African Americans and Hispanic communities more food insecure 
        than the national average, which could be remedied through 
        investment in local food systems, greater regulatory 
        flexibility, and Tribal self-governance programs.
            (3) Right to fair capital.--With the loss of community and 
        regional banks, coupled with the extraction of wealth from 
        rural communities by large corporations, farmers and local 
        businesses cannot access the capital necessary to operate. 
        Congress must ensure that all farmers, regardless of 
        background, can access the credit and capital they need. This 
        includes Native American producers and Tribal agricultural 
        enterprises that often must contract with Federal agencies for 
        resources, and African-American farmers who have endured 
        historical discrimination accessing farm credit.
            (4) Right to protect natural resources.--If large 
        corporations want to purchase land and operate megafarms, they 
        have a duty to protect the Earth's soil, water, and natural 
        resources, as rural and indigenous farmers have for 
        generations, including the protection of acequias that sustain 
        accessibility to water, local agriculture, and traditional 
        irrigation practices. Corporate megafarms have a duty to 
        support conservation by following reasonable standards for 
        aquifer use, manure storage, and other land-use guidelines. 
        Preserving land-based agricultural resources is vital to 
        beginning to mitigate the impacts of climate change and 
        preserve natural resources for both the tradition of 
        diversified rural family farming and the cultural 
        sustainability of indigenous agricultural communities.
            (5) Right to local land control, property rights, and 
        protection of tribal lands and sovereignty.--Counties and other 
        local governments should have the ability to pass and enforce 
        ordinances regulating the size, placement, and scope of 
        megafarms to protect the value of rural family farmers' land 
        and the surrounding environment. African-American farmers and 
        other historically underserved farmers and ranchers should 
        retain their land ownership and rights. Tribal Governments are 
        sovereign nations with the inherent right to independently 
        control their lands through self-governance programs to 
        safeguard traditional foods and medicines for their citizens' 
        wellbeing and preservation of ceremonial practices of American 
        Indian and Alaska Natives, including the expansion of 
        historically diminished indigenous hunting, fishing, and 
        gathering rights.
            (6) Right to food security.--Foreign ownership hurts family 
        farmers and ranchers and raises national security concerns. A 
        strict cap on foreign ownership of farms, farmland, and 
        agribusinesses should be set to ensure that all American 
        farmers can access domestic farm land.
            (7) Right to repair.--Huge corporations and their Wall 
        Street backers have gone so far as to prevent local businesses 
        and farmers from fixing their own tractors and equipment, 
        forcing them to pay corporate technicians to make all repairs. 
        A farmer should have the right to fix their own equipment as 
        they see fit.
            (8) Right to transparent labeling.--A farmer should be able 
        to label their food accurately and transparently--including 
        strong country of origin labeling standards.
            (9) Right to rural opportunity.--Monopolies have hollowed 
        out local economies and taken away the traditional pathways of 
        opportunity for free enterprise that helped communities thrive. 
        No farmer should have to choose between continuing to operate 
        their farm and getting access to good schools and health care. 
        No farmer should have to choose between farming and providing a 
        future for their children. Farmers need the right to basic 
        services in rural communities.
            (10) Right to preserve a diverse community of farmers and 
        farming practices.--For too long, historically underserved 
        farmers and ranchers have lacked a voice on local and national 
        agricultural policies and development. Congress must ensure 
        that historically underserved farmers and ranchers have fair 
        opportunities in the market, a seat at the table in policy 
        development, access to culturally relevant training and 
        technical assistance, and equal treatment by all Federal 
        agencies.
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