Agriculture

Agriculture is an integral part of North Carolina’s economy. Even though manufacturing, technology, and education and research industries are growing in North Carolina, agriculture is still the number one industry in our state. According to the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, it is responsible for almost 20 percent of the state’s income and workforce. North Carolina is a top producer of fruits and vegetables, and the leader in livestock production for the entire eastern United States.

In May 2008, Congress approved the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, a new five-year Farm Bill. As the Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management at the time, I was pleased to play a key role in writing this legislation.

This bipartisan bill affects every citizen in this country in some capacity, from nutrition and school lunch initiatives, to conservation and renewable energy, to food security. This legislation represents one of the most significant steps in agriculture policy reform in recent memory.

Two-thirds of the funds in the bill are for nutrition initiatives. To ensure greater food security, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 increased funding for the nutrition initiatves by more than $10 billion, including increasing assistance to food banks by $1.25 billion. The 2008 Farm Bill also provides $60 million to purchase food overseas for people in need and in crisis situations.

To meet our growing energy needs here at home, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 provides more than $1.1 billion for renewable energy. This money will fund additional research into bioenergy, incentives for cellulosic, non-food-based ethanol sources, and additional loan guarantee programs to encourage the increased production of energy crops used to make biodiesel.

In working to improve the environment, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 increases funding for conservation efforts by $6.6 billion, a dramatic increase, doubling funding for farmland protection programs to reduce sprawl, and increasing programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), designed to reduce agricultural runoff into our streams and lakes. These initiatives will ensure that the beauty of our state’s rolling farmland is protected and preserved, as well as the forests, lakes, and rivers, stretching from the mountains to the beaches on the coast.

In another major change to the existing agriculture initiatives, and keenly important to one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in North Carolina, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 adds $600 million to fund specialty crop research and marketing, including $33 million for direct producer-to-consumer marketing, $22 million for the USDA organic cost-share program, and $377 million for pest and disease management. This funding will affect the North Carolina landscaping industry, producers of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as producers of nursery and ornamentals. And in an important step, this funding is mandatory for the life of the bill. This is an important step in ensuring that these industries will continue to grow and thrive.