Introduction

CAC supports the preservation of the family farm from both an economic and environmental/public health perspective. Vertical integration of farming (such as control of seeds and livestock) not only lead to more detrimental practices, but undermine the rural economy. Alternative agriculture (integrated pest management and organic agriculture) can boost farm income and reduce toxic loading into the environment from pesticides. Alternative livestock production also envisions the avoidance of chemical, hormonal and antibiotic inputs. In addition, properly pricing farm products (parity pricing) would keep real farmers in business. Together these policies would provide us a healthy food supply, vastly improve environmental quality and farm income, reduce or eliminate farm subsidies, and set the stage for a strong rural economy.

Issues and History

CAC’s farm program has spanned 20 years. Economic justice for farmers has been to rallying call for a number of initiatives that have both economic and environmental consequences.

The rash of farm bankruptcies in the 1980s resulted in CAC writing and successfully seeing through to passage legislation that created Indiana’s farm counseling program. Farmers had access to case workers who helped them restructure dept and stay in business.

CAC also worked on federal legislation on behalf of Indiana farmers. In the late 1980s CAC in coalition with the National Toxics Campaign worked on federal legislation that was designed to more carefully test pesticides in terms of their public health impacts. At the same time the CAC and NTC supported legislation to boost farm income. The pesticide legislation passed. However, the family farm bill failed.

As an outgrowth of its interest in alternative agriculture, CAC drafted and successfully saw through to passage organic certification legislation in the early 1990s. The Coalition also worked in coalition with Indiana organic farmers and organic farmers throughout the country on national standards for the production of organically grown foods. The Department of Agriculture received over 250,000 letters in support of stringent organic standards.

More recently, CAC has worked at the local level with citizens concerned about the siting of Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in their area. CAC in coalition with local citizens and groups have stopped a number of these and, in some areas, helped develop county policies for more protective human health standards with respect to CAFOs. CAC has also worked to maintain local control over the siting of CAFOs and the standards by which they operate.

CAC had received primarily funding from outside sources for its farm program in the last 7 to 8 years. Unfortunately, those sources of funding have dried up. CAC will to working to develop staff internally to jumpstart the program once again.