By American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall

Every day, rain or shine, farmers rise and get to work. Whether we’re tired or stressed, we press on. If we disagree with a family member, we find a way forward. We don’t stall on planting or harvesting or caring for our animals. We are committed to doing our jobs in all seasons because we know our families and yours are counting on us. So, it’s beyond me—and most farmers I talk to—how Congress can sit it out on a critical job like passing a farm bill.

We cannot afford for Congress to put off doing their job because Americans are counting on farmers to do ours. Congress is failing farmers right now by failing to pass a modernized farm bill. The farm bill expired September 30. That’s unacceptable.

I’ve heard from all our farmers and ranchers across the country that they are struggling. The latest USDA Census of Agriculture painted a concerning picture of the farm economy landscape. We lost more than 140,000 farms in a five-year time span as of 2022, and even in a season when net farm income was higher, more than half of farms were not making a profit. 

The latest numbers from USDA’s farm income forecast also show a 23% drop in net farm income since 2022. How many people, how many families, could withstand losing a quarter of their income in two years? If these same numbers were reflected in the overall economy, we would have heard talk of a recession already. What we’re seeing in the farm economy isn't just a hiccup, it's evidence of an agricultural recession. 

It’s no wonder that more farmers are finding it challenging to remain economically sustainable. In the meantime, the current farm safety net is so out of date that it won’t even trigger for many family farms who face big drops in income. 

Our farmers need help, and they need it now. We appreciated the hard work the House and Senate Ag Committees did this past spring to lay the groundwork for a new, modernized farm bill. However, it has now been over 120 days since either chamber has had any meaningful progress. We need Congress to put politics aside and do their job. They have done it in the past, and they can do it now. Farmers need a new, modernized farm bill, and we cannot afford for Congress to fail us now. 

The farm bill is more accurately called a food and farm bill. It truly impacts all Americans. In addition to supporting farmers who produce our food, it supports many Americans who are struggling to make ends meet through federal nutrition programs. Inflation and food affordability are top of mind for most voters right now, according to our latest research. More than 80% of adults, across urban, suburban and rural areas, are concerned about these rising costs. A new farm bill will help us reach a worthy goal of ensuring no one in America goes hungry. 

As we know across farm country, higher food costs don’t mean a higher return on the farm. Most farmers continue to face slim margins at best. While costs are up, farm bill programs and risk management tools have not kept up to ensure farmers can weather the storms, which threaten to drive them out of business. The time is now, not next year, to renew and improve risk management programs. 

For all that the farm bill provides, altogether it is roughly 2% of all federal spending. Within that small slice, farm programs—including research, conservation and risk management—make up only three tenths of one percent of the federal budget. Slice it down even further, and crop insurance is just one tenth of a percent of federal spending. For a deeper dive on the significant return on investment that crop insurance provides, at a cost of less than two and a half dollars a month for each American, check out this Market Intel report. What’s more, that cost has remained relatively stable over the last 15 years. Don’t tell me that farmers don’t know how to stretch a dollar! But with inflation on the rise, commodity prices dropping, and labor costs skyrocketing, it’s nearly impossible for many small- and medium-sized family farms to stay afloat when times get tough. The farm bill isn’t the only tool to ensure the long-term sustainability, and survival, of our family farms and ranches, but it is an essential one.

There’s another important thing to remember. According to the 2024 Feeding the Economy report, economic output related to agriculture grew by more than a trillion dollars since last year. A trillion dollars! That’s a remarkable reminder of the role our farms and ranches play across the supply chain. Agriculture contributes to 20% of U.S. economic activity. Just let that sink in for a minute. One fifth of our nation’s economic output would not be possible without the nearly 2 million farms across our country.

What’s more—agriculture supports more than 48 million jobs in the U.S. From manufacturing of farm equipment to stocking food on grocery shelves, there are millions of Americans heading to work today who can trace how their job in some way connects to or is impacted by agriculture. These jobs up and down the supply chain—food scientists, veterinarians, restaurant workers, truck drivers, and the list goes on—are on the rise too, up 20% since 2020. Hopefully this helps to paint the bigger picture of why the farm bill is such a worthy investment.

A lot can change in a short time, and a lot has. Since the last farm bill was passed and signed in 2018, we have seen a dramatic shift in the economy—both at home and abroad. From a pandemic to major conflicts overseas, our supply chain is stretched, and costs have gone up for everything from seeds to fuel to labor. Some farmers have reported to me that they don’t expect to make a dime this year but they’re still caring for their crops and preparing for harvest because that’s just what we do. But farmers can’t take losses year after year and stay in business. Leaving the farm bill outdated places American farms at risk. And with 7% fewer farms in the U.S. since the last time a farm bill was passed, that’s a risk none of us can afford to take. 

The shrinking landscape of American agriculture should concern everyone—and our research shows that it does. An overwhelming majority of Americans (80%) agree that farmers should have access to critical risk management tools to ensure the stability of our food supply. Urban, suburban and rural adults alike want lawmakers to support and promote the economic sustainability of farms and ranches, according to our research. Add to that, the fact that a strong majority of adults (76%) believe that ensuring our nation has reliable access to domestically grown food should be a matter of national security, especially as we face global unrest. So, there really is no excuse for Congressional inaction. None.

Permission is granted to reprint this article in its entirety in both print and online formats. Credit to: Kentucky Farm Bureau News.