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Guest Commentary: August 11, 2001
Agriculture Is More Than Production of Food and Fiber
The Honorable Tom Harkin
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Agriculture is about more than the production of food and fiber. Any farmer or rancher in America could tell you that. It is about a love and respect for the land. As the stewards of our nation's private lands, farmers know they must conserve soils and keep water clean.
While many farmers do maintain practices to enhance natural resources on and off their farms, periods of low prices and high costs make it difficult for farmers to spend time and resources on conservation practices. That is why we need to focus more attention and resources toward allowing farmers to maintain and adopt important conservation practices on their lands in production. ...
The Conservation Security Act adopts a comprehensive, inclusive national approach to conservation on working lands. By providing incentive payments to farmers and ranchers who voluntarily maintain and adopt conservation practices that are appropriate for the local area and each individual operation, we can achieve two important goals at the same time. We provide needed income for a benefit - that is, we pay farmers to take actions on their lands that help enhance and conserve natural resources, water, air and soils, and wildlife habitat.
This is a win-win situation for farmers, ranchers and the general public. It is a wise use of public money because it helps keep farmers on the land and enables them to keep natural resources healthy at the source.
We are at a turning point for agriculture and so we must make wise choices with how we spend our money, including in ways that are consistent with our international trade obligations.
I believe focusing conservation funding on working lands is our responsibility and a wise choice.
Note: The above column is adapted from a statement Senator Harkin made at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Hearing, July 31, 2001.
 How to contact Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
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