Comment on the Goodlatte Pesticide Provision in the Final Farm Bill!

Issue Summary

As the 2007 Farm Bill comes down to the wire, House and  Senate Agriculture leaders are considering numerous detailed provisions. Among  these is a provision from the House bill, offered by Rep. Goodlatte (R-VA) that  would bar USDA from prohibiting the use of specific pesticides as a requirement  for participation in Conservation Programs.   This provision, if accepted into the final Farm Bill, could prevent USDA  from assisting farmers who are converting to organic farming practices, and  would impact USDA’s efforts to reduce the use of harmful pesticides. Final Farm Bill negotiations are happening right now and the deadline for completing the bill is just two weeks away – please contact your members of Congress now and let them know your opinion on this provision.

A little Background

 
House and Senate members working on  the final Farm Bill language are considering whether to include of a “pesticide  non-discrimination” provision sponsored by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA),  Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee. The provision states, “In  establishing priorities and evaluation criteria for the approval of plans,  contracts, and agreements under title II [the Conservation title], the  Secretary of Agriculture shall not discriminate against the use of specific  registered pesticide products or classes of pesticide products.” If this  provision or one like it is included in the final Farm Bill, USDA Conservation  Programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), could be  prohibited from assisting farmers who want to convert to organic farming  practices. In addition, USDA Conservation Programs won’t be able to address natural  resources threatened by pesticid  e contamination or effectively promote  environmentally friendly pest control.  In previous years, some states have used payments administered through EQIP to assist growers converting to organic farming practices.  In the current Farm Bill, there is language creating an Organic Conversion Program, to be administered through EQIP, that would provide financial and technical assistance to growers converting to organic practices.  USDA certified organic farming practices only allow use of pesticides permitted under the Organic Foods Production Act.  If the Goodlatte pesticide amendment is allowed into the final Farm Bill, USDA’s efforts to assist farmers in converting to organic may be severely restricted.  USDA would also be restricted from curtailing usage of pesticides posing specific threats to air and water quality, or promoting Integrated Pest Management practices or other environmentally friendly pest control methods.   Both of these practices could be construed to discriminate against specific pesticides.