PART I. Section 1: THE GLOBALIZATION OF FOOD AND FARMING
1. SPECIFIC 2008 FARM BILL PROJECTS
. permanent disaster assistance to farmers
. an increase in farmland preservation through the purchasing of development rights
. a provision for more fruits and vegetables to school children
. help for farmers to convert to organics from conventional farming, boosting organic farming initiatives for small and medium sized producers and helping organic growers get higher insurance payments should their harvest fail. A total of $78 million in funding for organic research: A 600 percent increase.
. develop next-generation cellulosic ethanol by providing research and development funds, provide tax credits and loan guarantees, shifts funding from corn-based ethanol to other renewable sources of energy, and provides money to encourage farmers to grow biomass crops in areas around biomass facilities
. local procurement of unprocessed farm products to the schools, such as eggs, vegetables, poultry, beef and dairy products
. grants to support the development of enterprises which distribute and market healthy, locally produced food to under-served urban, rural, and tribal communities
. loans to finance local food enterprises in rural areas
. funding community food projects in low-income communities
. funding senior market programs providing vouchers to low-income seniors for fruits and vegetables farmers' markets, roadside stands and community supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives
. support for the promotion for farmers' markets
. support for programs to reduce the rising rates of obesity
. support for studying urban and rural areas with limited food markets called "food deserts"
. increases in access to food stamp programs; the term "Food Stamps" would be changed to "Food and Nutrition"
. other initiatives include support for Food Stamp Nutrition Education and for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
