Recommendations for the 2007 Farm Bill issued by the National Family Farm Coalition and its partner organization

For Release on February 15, 2007

Contact: Katherine Ozer (202) 543-5675 Cell: (202) 421-4544 E-mail: kozer [at] nffc [dot] net
Ben Lilliston (612) 870-3146 E-mail: BLilliston [at] iatp [dot] org

U.S. Farmers Link with Farmers Around the World on Farm Policy

February 20, 2007

The Building Sustainable Futures for Farmers Globally campaign released recommendations for the 2007 Farm Bill that will improve the livelihoods and sustainability of farm communities in the U.S. and around the world. The campaign includes nearly 60 organizations of family farmers, farm workers, faith communities, consumers, and environmental advocates who support a fundamental change in U.S. farm and trade policy. To learn more about BSF, visit www.globalfarmer.org.

Farmer, farm worker, fisher, and civil society leaders call for changes in U.S. policy to:

 Ensure fair commodity prices to family farmers in the U.S. and beyond
 Promote sustainable biofuels production
 Support socially disadvantaged and other small farmers
 Reform ineffective U.S. food aid programs
 Address the need for effective disaster response for farmers, fishers, and rural communities impacted by Katrina, Rita, and other natural disasters

The underlying principle of this broad platform is food sovereignty, the right of countries to define the policies that best meet the needs of their farmers, consumers and communities. Directly after the campaign announcement in Washington DC, over 40 farmers, fisherfolk, farm workers, and citizen and consumer groups from the North American region will meet at the World Forum for Food Sovereignty in Mali where the platform will be shared with 500 delegates from around the world. To learn more about Nyélení, visit www.nyeleni2007.org.

Key Participants:
George Naylor, National Family Farm Coalition
Tirso Moreno, Farm Worker Association of Florida / Rural Coalition
Dena Hoff, National Family Farm Coalition
Karen Hansen-Kuhn, Action-Aid International, USA
Ben Burkett, Mississippi Association of Cooperatives
David Waskow, Friends of the Earth
Margaret Curole, Louisiana Shrimp Association

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