American Farmland Trust: The 2008 Farm Bill

Final Farm Bill Passes

On June 19th Congress enacted the complete Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

After a Presidential veto, the House and the Senate voted overwhelmingly to override the veto and pass the 2008 Farm Bill.

Now we turn our attention to rulemaking and implementation. This process will outline how farm bill programs work on the ground, ultimately determining how successful they'll be.

A new direction for america

The progress and success of the 2008 Farm Bill can be measured in two ways:

Additional funding, improved effectiveness and the creation of new programs to address important priorities; and,
The unprecedented involvement and cooperation among previously disengaged stakeholder groups. The political landscape and the public debate have been changed forever.

While we may not have fully achieved all our goals, we will continue to build on our achievements in the next farm bill and through other legislation to create even more effective and lasting reforms.

History of the Farm Bill Learn about the farm bill and get the scoop on subsidy programs.	Outlining the Debate New players fundamentally shifted the farm bill discussion.
Analysis of the 2008 Farm Bill Overview of new funding and program improvements.	Status and Next Steps Passing the farm bill is just the first step. Now we must turn promises into programs.