The Farm Bill is one of America’s most important pieces of legislation. Costing taxpayers nearly $100 billion per year, it defines the policies that shape nutrition assistance, local and organic food, the fate of family farmers and biodiversity, and more. Yet at nearly 1,000 pages, the Farm Bill’s thick web of technical jargon and acronyms makes it difficult to comprehend for many policymakers, let alone citizens.
In The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide, author Dan Imhoff applies twenty years of experience translating the Farm Bill into plain language to today’s most pressing debates. With his co-author Christina Badaracco, he explains the basic elements of the Farm Bill, its origins and history, and the battles that will determine the direction of food policy in the coming years. The result is an accessible, graphics-rich 200 pages that break policies down into relatable concepts and offer a vision of a more democratic Farm Bill.
The Farm Bill will empower citizens to understand and reshape the outcome of future Farm Bills. With this book, we can write new rules that put food and farming on a healthier, more sustainable, and more ethical path.
Check out Chapters 1 and 2 "What is the Farm Bill" and "Why Does the Farm Bill Matter?" below, or download the PDF here.
