A farm bill that serves us all

No big surprise: As Congress girds to debate a 2007 farm bill, the big commodity interests — cotton, rice, corn, wheat, soybeans — are lining up to protect their billions in subsidies. But how about us — the taxpayer funders?

What if we could write a farm bill? What would it feature?

First, it's fair to suggest, we'd want to foster a reliable, steady supply of wholesome foods reaching our communities.

And we know what's most nutritious: fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish and whole grains. All contribute to trimmer bodies, healthy hearts, less disease. Sweets, processed foods, red meats and dairy products are OK, but only if consumed sparingly.

But what crops has Uncle Sam been supporting for the last decades? Corn, for one. It's the source of the high fructose syrup that food manufacturers substitute for regular sugar in the cascading quantity of processed, baked and frozen foods that now account for over 40 percent of grocery sales, compared with a sparse 9 percent for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Also heavily government-supported have been soybeans, a chief source of vegetable oil altered in a process called partial hydrogenation that creates fatty acids, the unhealthiest type of fat.

New varieties of soybeans requiring less hydrogenation were invented earlier in this decade and are now creeping into the market. But the fact is that Uncle Sam at least until now has been complicit in the rise of foods that have helped turn us into an increasingly overweight and obese nation, triggering high rates of diabetes and heart disease that balloon already strained health budgets, reduce life expectancy, and threaten to strain government budgets to the breaking point.

Could a new farm bill reverse directions? It certainly should. Today, the federal government spends a measly $1 million a year to promote farmers' markets. But it's precisely farmers on the edge of our metro regions — areas where 80 percent of America's fruits and vegetables are grown — who need support the most. Farmers' markets let them sell directly to consumers, bypassing all the "middle men" who absorb so much of the grocery dollars.

The federal government could offer a strong helping hand to regional efforts that encourage institutions ranging from schools and hospitals to prisons and restaurants to contract for major local farm produce. It could rewrite food-stamp and free-school-lunch programs to focus increasingly on healthy, fresh farm products

But back to farms: Every minute of every day, the U.S. loses two acres of farmland to development. Better stewardship of America's farms and ranches, which account for nearly half our total land, is critical, and not just to curb sprawl. The American Farmland Trust urges a shift to "green payments" to farmers who can demonstrate creative ways to create grass and tree buffers along streams, save topsoils, reduce chemical use through environmentally sensitive pest management, recharge groundwater, protect wildlife and protect open spaces.

What about subsidies? A new farm bill might provide all farmers (not just commodity producers) limited safety-net protections against unexpected losses triggered by market fluctuations. And it might provide incentives (support for local fresh-food markets, for example) to jump-start a new generation of farmers.

New legislation should also connect the dots to energy, moving beyond ethanol subsidies to corn producers to encourage a range of renewable energy sources.

But the food and community connection cries out for unprecedented attention.

Research in Philadelphia and Chicago shows this affluent nation actually has "food deserts" — sections of cities where supermarkets and healthful food are so scarce that residents are obliged to rely on ill-stocked corner markets and greasy takeout places. Health is poorer; actual death from such diet-related diseases as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure is higher in the "deserts." Model programs in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Chicago are seeking — in part with state subsidies — to lure supermarkets into the deprived areas. The National Conference of State Legislatures has begun an informational campaign on the issue. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation has an extended history of fostering inner-city markets.

But the demand is vast and continent-wide, suggesting that a federal initiative might lead to major breakthroughs. The results — in greater food equity, healthier populations, stronger local economies, reduced Medicaid costs — could all be dramatic.

The time's at hand to rescue the farm bill from its commodity prison and put its resources to work not just for a healthier farm sector, but a healthier nation.

Neal Peirce's column appears alternate Mondays on editorial pages of The Times. His e-mail address is nrp@citistates.com