Food Democracy Now - End the Factory Farm Bailout

End the Factory Farm Bailout - Stop Government Pork

Factory farms pose a real danger to our communities, our natural resources and the livelihood of hardworking family farmers who dedicate their lives to raising poultry and livestock in ways that safeguard our air, water and public health. With so many farmers struggling in this tough economy, the last thing they need is to have the USDA funneling money to factory farms. We need everyone who supports family farmers and sustainable farming policies to make themselves heard now.

Please sign this petition telling Secretary Vilsack to end guaranteed government loans to factory poultry and hog confinements.

Name:

Email:

Street address:

City:

State:

ZIP:

Not ? Click here.

Comment:

Optional: enter friends' e-mail addresses to send them this page (preview/edit message):

Your message to friends:
Subject: Did you know that your tax dollars are being used to build factory farms? If you care about supporting family farmers, join me in signing a petition to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to stop using our money to prop up factory farms. Click here to sign now: <http://fdn.actionkit.com/cms/sign/Factory_Farm_Bailout/?source=taf> Here's the basic problem: A current USDA program is funneling taxpayer money to fund new and bigger factory farm operations. This lending is leading to the gross overproduction of hogs and poultry. So much livestock is being churned out that it has caused a long-term depression of producer prices, forcing family farmers out of business in these already tough economic times. Not only that, but these types of factory farms pose a real danger to our communities, our natural resources, and the livelihood of hardworking family farmers who dedicated their lives to raising poultry and livestock in ways that safeguard our air, water and public health. Right now, family farmers need all the help they can get. Please join us in standing up for them. Food Democracy Now! has put a petition form online, please take a minute to add your name. Just click here to sign: <http://fdn.actionkit.com/cms/sign/Factory_Farm_Bailout/?source=taf> Thanks again for all you do!

Below is the letter Secretary Vilsack will receive along with all of your signatures showing we will not use taxpayer money for factory farm bailouts.

“

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

We are requesting that USDA suspend all loans to specialized hog and poultry facilities. USDA is currently guaranteeing loans to new production facilities, which contribute to over-supply in an already saturated marketplace. At the same time, USDA is using taxpayer dollars for bonus pork and poultry buys in order to stabilize prices resulting from overproduction. (In 2009 alone, the USDA committed to over $151 million bonus pork purchases, including in May when the industry asked for an additional $50 million pork buy and the most recent September purchase of $30 million additional pork for federal food and nutrition assistance programs.)

The use of USDA loan programs for new specialized hog and poultry facilities is an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars.

When similar situations occurred in the past, USDA suspended the use of loan programs for the construction of these specialized facilities to ensure that the Agency did not continue to contribute to the overproduction situation.

In a January 8^th, 1999 explanation of why USDA was suspending loans to specialized hog facilities, FSA says:

"It is inconsistent with USDA policies for FSA to continue to finance construction of additional production facilities through direct loans and loan guarantees while other agencies within USDA expend resources to ameliorate over-supply conditions." -- Federal Register-January 1999

Continuing overproduction in both the hog and poultry industries are resulting in long-term depression of producer prices, closing of pork plants, canceling of poultry contracts, integrator requests for government assistance and further concentration of markets. All the while, USDA continues to make loans that further exacerbate the problem.

For these reasons:
We call for USDA to suspend all direct or guaranteed farm ownership or operating loans for the construction or expansion of specialized hog or poultry production facilities. I hereby add my name:

”

Privacy Policy (the basics): We do not share the information you've given us with unaffiliated groups without your explicit permission. For petitions, letters to the editor, and surveys you've signed or completed, we treat your name, city, state, and comments as public information. We will not make your street address publicly available, but we may transmit it to members of Congress, the President, or other targets specifically noted on the signup page. We will send you updates on this and other important campaigns by email. If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from our email list, you may do so. For our complete privacy policy, click here.