The farm bill is a major piece of legislation passed every five years. If you’re not a farmer, why should you care? There are many reasons. The legislation shapes U.S. policy on a broad range of topics, including agricultural research, crop subsidies, nutrition standards, and food assistance programs for low-income families.
“The farm bill is not just for farmers,” said Christopher Bosso, a food policy expert and public policy professor at Northeastern. “It shapes our food system in a way that we often don’t appreciate.”
The House passed its version of the farm bill by a narrow two vote margin. All of the “yes” votes came from Republicans. Now, the bill heads to the Senate, which will vote on its own version sometime in early July. Then the two versions will need to be combined before the final farm bill moves to President Donald Trump for signing.
Here, Bosso explains the importance of the farm bill and how its passing could impact the country.
