United States farm bill

A farm bill in the context of the politics of the United States is a comprehensive piece of legislation in the Congress dealing with agriculture and agricultural policy, typically determining the course of that policy for the next several years. Affairs not directly agricultural but falling under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture are also dealt with in farm bills.

Congress and the executive branch are currently considering proposals for the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill to replace the current farm bill, which expired in September 2007. Farms bills can be highly controversial and can impact international trade, environmental preservation, food safety, and the well-being of rural communities. The agricultural subsidy programs mandated by the farm bills are the subject of intense debate both within the U.S. and internationally.

Past farm bills

• Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933
• Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938
• Agricultural Act of 1948
• Agricultural Act of 1949
• Agricultural Act of 1954
• Agricultural Act of 1956
• Food and Agricultural Act of 1965
• Agricultural Act of 1970
• Agricultural and Consumer Protection Act of 1973
• Food and Agriculture Act of 1977
• Agriculture and Food Act of 1981
• Food Security Act of 1985
• Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
• Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
• Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
• 2007 U.S. Farm Bill

External links

• U.S. Farm Bills
• Recipient database
• U.S. Farm Bill 2007 Ag Observatory (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy)