Agriculture, Nutrition and Rural Issues

"The primary goals of agriculture policies should be providing food for all people and reducing poverty among farmers and farmworkers in this country and abroad."
-- USCCB, For I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food, 2003

WHAT'S NEW?

For news and information on the Farm Bill, see its separate site.

Joint Letter on FY 2013 House Agriculture Appropriations
Bishop Stephen E. Blaire and Bishop Richard E. Pates
June 26, 2012

Letter to House on Budget Reconciliation Cuts to Poverty Programs
Bishop Stephen E. Blaire
May 8, 2012

Current Advocacy Position

The USCCB advocates for the protection of agriculture and nutrition programs that provide for poor, hungry, and vulnerable people, both at home and abroad, support for those who grow our food, fairness to family farmers and ranchers, and that promote good stewardship of the land. When faced with limited government resources, agriculture subsidies should be directed to small and medium sized farmers and ranchers who truly need assistance to be competitive and successful.

Click here to learn more.

Legislative Documents, Letters, and Statements

Joint Letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, FY 2013
Bishop Stephen E. Blaire and Bishop Richard E. Pates
April 16, 2012
Joint Letter to Congressional Appropriations Committees on FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Bishop Stephen E. Blaire and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard
October 20, 2011
Letter to Senate on Agriculture Appropriations
Bishop Stephen E. Blaire and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard
September 6, 2011
Letter to Congressional Leadership on Agricultural Subsidies
Bishop Stephen Blaire, Bishop Howard Hubbard, Ken Hackett, and Jim Ennis
July 11, 2011
Joint Letter on House Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Bishop Stephen E. Blaire and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard
May 31, 2011
Letter to House Leadership on Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Bishop William Murphy, Most Rev. Thomas Curry, Sr. Dale McDonald, James Ennis
November 17, 2010
Letter to Congress on Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
Bishop William Murphy
September 20, 2010
Letter to Congress on Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Bishop William Murphy, Most Rev. Thomas Curry, Rev. Larry Snyder
Sr. Dale McDonald, James Ennis
August 3, 2010
Letter on Child Nutrition Reauthorization to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Bishop William Murphy, Most Rev. Thomas Curry, Rev. Larry Snyder
Sr. Dale McDonald, James Ennis
March 23, 2010

For information from prior to 2010, see our nutrition and agriculture archives.

Primers, Backgrounders, and Educational Materials

Backgrounder on Food and Nutrition
February 2011