In light of recent developments surrounding the 2007 Farm Bill, the New York Times published an article on CARE’s decision to decline US government funding for food aid. Until recently, CARE relied on federal funding to sell goods in Africa grown by American agribusinesses which would then generate money for other anti-poverty programs run by CARE. Many NGO’s operate in this manner, including World Vision and the Alliance for Food Aid, who insist that the money provided by the US government is beneficial. CARE’s decision will result in a loss of $45 million dollars annually and will require the NGO to procure support from fundraising efforts.

Though the 2007 Farm Bill has yet to pass the Senate, the outlook is not good for poor farmers in developing countries. The bill will actually increase support for US farm subsidies, thereby undermining the capability of Africa to cultivate and sell its own crops.

Agricultural policy tends to be greeted with yawns, but the 2007 United States Farm Bill should generate frowns for citizens of every nation. This bill, although esoteric, allocates tens of billions of dollars annually to U.S. farm subsidies. These payments hurt farmers in much of Africa and the rest of the world by artificially deflating prices for agricultural goods to levels at which these farmers cannot keep producing. The farm bill also continues subsidies declared illegal by the WTO and squanders American tax dollars that could well go to more just ends. Yet most importantly, as a microcosm of United States policymaking  the bill’s crafting demonstrates a complete disregard for relations with other nations and a self interest unsustainable in a globalized world. This worrying trend and the other faults of the bill merit further exploration.