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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tricia Falter
tfalter@missourifarmersunion.org
573.659.4787
Re-energizing
Missouri’s Rural
Communities
JEFFERSON CITY, MO (September 9, 2004) – As a nonprofit
striving to protect family farmers and ranchers, Missouri Farmers
Union cannot endorse candidates. However, MFU can provide both
parties with a new vision for Missouri’s rural policy. During
the Missouri House Agriculture Committee meetings on September
8 in Canton and September 9 in Moberly, MFU unveiled their policy
for re-energizing Missouri’s rural communities.
Throughout the 1960’s and the 1970’s,
most rural Missouri communities experienced thriving economies.
During the past 25
years, though, the decimation of these communities can be attributed
to fewer market opportunities for commodity agricultural products.
Declining market options have resulted in lower prices paid to
area farmers, the failure of communities to retain financial resources
and re-investment, and policy that gives the advantage to consolidated
business structures.
Many local, state and federal policies have accelerated this deterioration.
But this decimation is not inevitable. There are still 107,000
family farms in Missouri and most wish to make some kind of living
on their operations.
To revitalize the rural landscape of Missouri, the following issues
must be addressed:
Ensure the Ability of Missouri Family Farmers to Compete in the
World Marketplace. Farmers are at a disadvantage in the marketplace
due to captive supplies and unfair trade policies. Missouri government
must:
- Allow
farmers to save back their own seeds
- Protect
contract growers from any unfair practices of the large integrators
Contracts should be in clear and precise language:Contracts
should allow farmers to collectively bargain,
Prevent unlawful termination/manipulation by integrator to
end contracts early, Require contracts to run the duration of
the farmer’s
loan, Ensure farmer’s right to sue
in court (i.e. no mandatory arbitration)
- Elevator
and other agriculture business bankruptcy laws should protect
the farmer patrons
- Uphold
laws (i.e. Packers and Stockyards) that protect small farmers
from being discriminated
at the marketplace
Nurture New Agricultural Alternatives. Missouri is home to diverse
agriculture with close proximity to population centers. This opens
opportunities for significant specialty markets in food, energy,
agricultural and forest products. Community-based, farmer owned
and controlled value-added processing of agricultural products
allows farmers to capture a larger share of the food dollar, creates
jobs for local residents, and captures and circulates wealth in
a local economy.
- Enhance
value-added program (MO Small Business and Agricultural Development
Authority): Emphasize and direct assistance to
community-based, family farmer owned projects, Enable
small, limited resource farmers to participate
- Revamp
AgriMissouri program to encourage retailers to purchase agriculture
products
produced by farmers, co-ops and cottage
industries in Missouri
- Develop
sustainable, farmer and community owned, renewable energy production
and marketing businesses such as
biomass
Develop and Foster Sustainable Practices. Missouri needs
to take the lead in sustainable agriculture and
develop a Sustainable
Food
and Farming Institute.
-
Create a system of
research, education, outreach and advocacy to promote healthy
farming and food
systems in Missouri: Increase pesticide licensing fees
as a source
of revenue for the institute, Missouri currently
charges $15, while other states charge as much as $100-$300
-
Protect
the existing Sustainable Ag Demonstration Awards Program
Aggressively develop organic, natural, GMO-free, boutique
food system for both domestic and international markets
-
Development
of community-based, value-added forest projects
Protect local community’s right to regulate CAFOs through
county health ordinances
Direct
Economic Assistance to Develop Community-Based Businesses in
Missouri’s Rural Distressed Areas.
- A
state tax credit program needs to provide incentives to
community members to invest or re-invest in small, rural
locally owned
businesses
- A
special incentive program should be implemented to encourage
the development of cooperative or community owned grocery
stores in distressed rural areas
- Provide
micro-enterprise loan programs to existing and aspiring
entrepreneurs in
rural, distressed Missouri
communities
- Rural
community credit unions and other community development
funds for rural areas should be promoted
Enhance the quality of life of rural residents.
- Education
programs should be funded adequately and equitably. Rural
property owners could possibly be offered rebates
- Pilot
health care cooperatives should be initiated
- State
and federal governments should work together to develop
broadband services
for economically distressed
rural areas
- Transportation
services need to be improved for rural areas
- Services
for seniors, handicapped and under-represented citizens
should
be improved
Land Grant Institutions Should Serve its Constituents and the
Public Interest.
- Research,
educational and outreach programs should serve farmers
and consumers – not serve as a means of providing
proprietary benefits to big industry
- The
Outreach and Extension program should focus its attention
on integrated, holistic farm and food systems rather
than large
commercial ventures
- Rural
entrepreneurship and rural opportunities should be emphasized
and fostered at all educational levels
Missouri Farmers Union’s mission is to protect
and enhance the economic interests and way of life of family
farmers and ranchers
and the rural communities they represent. MFU is a true advocacy
organization representing family farms and rural communities. For
more information or to join, go to www.missourifarmersunion.org.
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Attention: A tailored letter to the editor can be provided if
interested.
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