The U.S. Farm Bill: Ending the global food crisis

Have you ever been told to finish the food on your plate because there are starving children in Africa? I find the phrase so cliche because my gluttonous American-size meal will not solve global hunger. But the phrase serves its purpose: It fills us with guilt and reminds us what a privilege it is to have a belly full of food.

This year, Congress will be debating the renewal of the U.S. Farm Bill, which covers most federal government policies for agriculture. Our nation's food and agricultural policies have a profound impact on countless lives both in this country and across the globe.

The largest portion of the Farm Bill budget goes to domestic food assistance for the food stamp program. The food stamp program benefits 45.8 million Americans living under the poverty line, the majority of whom are children or elderly. This program is at risk of budget cuts in the upcoming Farm Bill.

It frustrates me how food has become a politicized issue, with politics determining the growth and distribution of food. Every person needs food to survive. But it is not that the world doesn't have enough food to feed the world's population, it's that food is not distributed fairly or efficiently, benefiting some people disproportionately.

The Farm Bill also directly impacts global food aid. People in the developing world depend on the U.S. government for food aid, especially during emergencies such as earthquakes or famines. However, U.S. policies are causing unintended and dire consequences. For example, policy mandates that we ship U.S. food abroad. Of every taxpayer dollar designated for food aid, 60 cents goes to shipping costs. This means it takes too long to get relief shipments to the people in need, and it undermines local farmers' growing abilities in the developing world.

On my recent visit to Haiti, I was troubled seeing bags of donated U.S.-grown rice tagged with an American flag and the words, "from the American people." I'm American, and I didn't choose to send it. I'd rather see those Haitians learn to grow their own rice for self-sufficiency in food production than depend on the imported rice. Ultimately, the U.S. food aid policy is inefficient and needs improvement.

Reforming the Farm Bill is important to me because of its global impact. But if international politics is not your passion, then consider how it affects our domestic food distribution and hunger concerns. It regulates organic farming, trade, commodities, nutrition, sustainability and more.

Congressional discussions about Farm Bill revisions are already underway. In the upcoming bill, cost-cutting measures will be a top priority. Now is the time for constituents to demand a more just food bill that uses our taxpayer money wisely and addresses domestic and global hunger issues.

I'm tired of letting my apathy and any cynicism I have about the inefficiencies of national and global politics slow me down. This issue may not be a hot topic like reproductive or marriage rights, but food justice and food security is an issue I care about, and by writing this column, I'm fighting my apathy. History shows young people are a great influential force that can mobilize politics in this country. Let's recognize our position of privilege and power-through-education and stop being apathetic college students. As we know, change is a long process, and, in my opinion, the first step is increasing awareness.

Jennifer Schwarz is a senior environmental science and policy major. She can be reached at schwarz@umdbk.com.