2018 Farm Bill: Benefits, Flaws, and Equity Concerns
This paper examines the Agricultural Act of 2018 (the Farm Bill), a $867 billion piece of legislation reauthorized by Congress to support American farmers. The paper outlines the bill's key benefits — including crop insurance, mental health programs through the Farm Ranch and Assistance Network, and the legalization of hemp production — while also critically evaluating its shortcomings. Central criticisms focus on the disproportionate distribution of subsidies toward wealthy landowners and large-scale farming operations, the underfunding of essential programs like Medicare, and the structural barriers the bill creates for small-scale farmers. The paper also describes the legislative process through which the Farm Bill is drafted and passed.
- Introduction to the 2018 Farm Bill: Overview of the bill's purpose and funding
- Key Benefits of the Farm Bill: Mental health programs and crop insurance support
- Hemp Legalization and Equal Program Access: Hemp farmers granted equal subsidy access
- Criticisms and Equity Concerns: Subsidies favor wealthy landowners over small farmers
- Legislative Process and Responsible Parties: How the Farm Bill is drafted and passed
- Impact on Small-Scale Farmers and Conclusion: Bill harms small farmers; alternative policies proposed
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What makes this paper effective
- Presents a balanced structure by addressing both benefits and drawbacks of the Farm Bill before reaching a conclusion.
- Grounds policy claims in specific figures, such as the $867 billion allocation and the statistic that the top 10% of commodity sales receive 77% of subsidies.
- Connects the legislative process to real-world outcomes, helping readers understand how policy design affects distribution of benefits.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates evaluative policy analysis — presenting a government program's stated goals, then systematically examining whether its design achieves those goals equitably. This technique of identifying intended versus actual beneficiaries is central to public policy critique.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with background on the Farm Bill's purpose and funding, moves into its benefits (mental health support, crop insurance, hemp inclusion), then transitions to criticisms (subsidy concentration, landlord advantage, budget trade-offs), explains the bill's legislative pathway, and closes with an argument about the harm done to small-scale farmers and suggestions for alternative policy approaches.
Introduction to the 2018 Farm Bill
Every five years, Congress introduces and revises the Farm Bill, which aims to support American farmers. The Agricultural Act of 2018 was introduced to provide subsidies to farmers and improve their conditions. It allocated $867 billion for agricultural policy to incentivize farmers across the country (Aid, 2018).
Key Benefits of the Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill is of immense benefit to the public and addresses many areas of concern for farmers. The 2014 Farm Bill had established the Farm Ranch and Assistance Network, but that program was not adequately funded at the time. In 2018, it was revived and adjusted with several changes. One of its key features is its attention to the mental health and stress of farmers (Aid, 2018). This is a valuable initiative because it addresses the long-term wellbeing and productivity of farmers. The bill also includes farmers' protection programs that provide crop insurance, offering producers a financial safety net against losses.
References
Aid, F. (2018, December). What's in the 2018 Farm Bill? The good, the bad and the offal. Farm Aid. Retrieved from https://www.farmaid.org/issues/farm-policy/whats-in-the-2018-farm-bill-the-good-the-bad-and-the-offal/
Amadeo, K. (2019, November 24). Current US federal budget deficit. The Balance.
Coalition, N. S. (2019). What is the Farm Bill? National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Retrieved from https://sustainableagriculture.net/our-work/campaigns/fbcampaign/what-is-the-farm-bill/
Queck-Matzie, T. (2018, December 12). Grassley sees Farm Bill pros and cons. Successful Farming. Retrieved from https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/grassley-sees-farm-bill-pros-and-cons
Us, I. U. (2019, November 12). Breaking down the US federal budget for the fiscal year 2019. It's Up To Us.
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