Representing Sustainable Agricultural Policies
Sustainable Farming and the subsequent environmental gains from sound farming practices meet the societal and economic needs of all. A sustainable system is one that concentrates on long-term solutions guided by ecosystems management of interactions between plants, animals, soil, climate, and people.

Greens support moving away from Corporate Industrial Farming and encourage sustainable systems. Monoculture crop farming brings on huge risk to individual farmers because they are vulnerable to marketplace changes and natural disasters. Furthermore, this factory process strips the soil of its natural defenses against erosion, pest management, and proper water cycles. These large-scale processes hurt the long-term capability of our land to produce sustainable products. Currently the U.S. agriculture is in massive over-production mode; Greens will work to develop legislation that would offer higher Green Payments for non-market land uses such as listed in the Conservation Reserve and Wetland Reserve programs in order to counteract the depressed prices caused by over production. Expansions of preserves would also enhance the quality of the soil, allowing it to recover after years of farming. We would also encourage farming of free range animals by blocking subsidy expansions of Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).

Enforce anti-trust laws upon agribusiness and promote local markets As of 2002, 4 firms controlled 59 percent of the U.S. Pork Market, 4 firms controlled 81 percent of the U.S. Beef Market, and 3 firms controlled 81 percent of the U.S. Corn Exports. Agriculture is becoming increasingly monopolistic which causes farmers to enter into unfair contract agreements just to have market access. Greens support a yearly declining cap on annual crop subsidies so that the bias towards large farm operations is minimized and more subsidies go to the individual and co-ops. Further more we will work to encourage growth of Farmers Markets to develop opportunities for money to be kept locally, and provide fresh produce for consumers.

Develop Agricultural Education programs: Greens support legislation to enhance public funding and control over the agricultural research agendas at land-grant universities. Give high priority and funding opportunities toward ecologically-based, innovative, small farm operations. Use Extension offices more for education and training programs that encourage goal setting and sound financial decision making for whole-farm management.