 |
|
SEPTEMBER 2002 |
|
National Grange Urges Congress to Support USDA Export Programs
The National Grange, in conjunction with the Coalition to Promote U.S.
Agricultural Exports, is urging Congress to continue support for the Market Access
Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program for the fiscal
year 2003. As provided in the 2002 Farm Bill, the National Grange is appealing
to Congress to fund the MAP at no less than $110 million and the FMD program at
its full authorized level at $34.5 million.
These
two similar programs must go through a thorough review process based on criteria
set in the Federal Register, with participants presenting an itemized list of
expenses incurred during the program year. Both programs were initially authorized
under the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 and obtain funds from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture's (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The
MAP forms a partnership between non-profit U.S. agricultural trade associations,
co-ops, state-regional trade groups and U.S. businesses, which come together to
share the costs for things such as overseas marketing and promotional activities,
market research and trade servicing. The FMD program focuses primarily on generic
U.S. commodities as opposed to brand name products. This program also gives preference
to nonprofit U.S. agricultural and trade groups representing an entire industry
or have members throughout the nation. Despite
trade agreements, U.S. agriculture still has a need for assistance. Agricultural
exports contribute to the nation's economy by creating jobs, a third of which
are in the farming sector with the other two-thirds existing in processing, marketing
and transportation. In addition to job creation and the establishment of markets
for U.S. agricultural products overseas, we must contend with competition from
other countries. According to a recent USDA study, foreign competitors are outspending
the U.S. in the areas of subsidies and other expenditures for export market development
at a rate of 20 to 1. This same study shows that European countries are spending
as much money annually to promote sales of their products in the U.S as the U.S.
is spending to promote their products worldwide! By fully funding the MAP and
FMD programs, the U.S. can ensure that we can keep up with the competition and
prosper in the world market.
top National
Grange Joins Dairy Producers for Fair Trade in Support of H.R. 1786
The
National Grange is one of many organizations joining the Dairy Producers for Fair
Trade coalition to encourage congress to pass H.R. 1786, a bill that would impose
tariffs on imports of Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC) and casein. This is an issue
affecting the livelihood of America's 75,000 dairy farm families because domestic
prices have been depressed by imports displacing domestically produced products.
MPC is the product of a technology known as ultrafiltration. During the ultrafiltration
process, nonfat milk is passed through membranes designed to separate out most
of the water, lactose and other solids, leaving behind a product consisting of
mostly protein known as retentate. In most cases, the retentate is subsequently
dried for further distribution and/or storage. Casein is the primary form of dairy
protein in milk, produced either by filtration through specialized membranes,
or through acid precipitation from milk. It is usually converted to its salt form,
caseinate, and dried. These products are used in the creation of products such
as cheese, baked goods, low-fat spreads, dairy-based beverages and other food
products. Casein can also be included in certain non-food industrial items, such
as glue and fabrics. However,
when Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) were determined under the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT), this technology was still in the early stages of development.
As a result, importation restrictions for MPC do not exist in current trade policies,
creating a loophole in which other countries can enter the U.S. market. As a result,
MPC enters the U.S. market virtually tariff-free, causing a marked decrease in
domestic sales and putting U.S. producers at a disadvantage. Nearly all MPC production
occurs in countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands,
and Canada, countries that are major exporters of dairy products. The dairy industry
in these countries relies heavily on the export markets and many of the countries
provide substantial subsidies for MPC production, creating yet another economic
incentive for foreign producers to dump large amounts of MPC on the U.S. market.
Because of the
lack of tariffs on imports, dairy producers in the U.S. are burdened with weak
commodity prices that do not sufficiently cover their costs of production. Over
the past five years, yearly imports of MPC have risen to 350-400 million pounds,
displacing 4 to 4.6 billion pounds of U.S. domestic milk production. In order
for U.S dairy farmers to prosper, we must close the loophole resulting from insufficient
trade regulations. Because of this, it is imperative that H.R. 1786 is passed
to close the loophole and return U.S. dairy farmers to prosperity.
top National
Grange Signs Briefing to Protect Online Consumer Privacy
The National
Grange is one of several organizations lending their support in preventing the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) from seeking information about
users from Internet Service Providers using a little known provision of the "Digital
Millennium Copyright Act." This provision does not give the consumer notice or
the right to defend him or her self before vital personal information is divulged.
The RIAA has filed a subpoena to obtain users' personal information to determine
if there is a copyright infringement involved while trading files on a peer to
peer network. To
ensure online consumer privacy, the National Grange is one of several organizations
that have signed on to an amicus brief filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF). This brief would require that information relating to copyright issues
receive the same safeguards as other situations at the same time providing peace
of mind to online users. For additional information regarding this brief, please
visit the EFF web site at www.eff.org
or contact Lucas Mast at 202-263-2935.
Ethanol
and Biobased Fuels Important Part of Balanced Energy Framework
The National
Grange, as one of seven organizations comprising the Alliance for Rural America,
is urging Congress to include a component advancing the use of ethyl tertiary
butyl ether (ETBE), a fuel additive derived from ethanol, in the energy bill up
for consideration by the Conference Committee. The Senate Energy bill includes
provisions that would establish a 5 billion gallon per year ethanol mandate in
motor fuel by the year 2012. The stated purpose of this mandate is to reduce reliance
on foreign oil and to help domestic farmers and ethanol producers get their product
to market more easily. Advancement
of ETBE use in fuel production would provide many benefits to American consumers,
one of which is reducing our dependence on foreign oils. Because it is water-soluble,
it can also be freely mixed with other types of gasoline being made in refineries,
eliminating gasoline segregation barriers that contribute to "boutique fuel" shortages
and higher costs associated with ethanol blending. Furthermore, it will eliminate
the need for the development of new infrastructure for the refiner and the marketplace.
It's water solubility makes it safer for the environment because it biodegrades
faster, has other properties making it easier to remove from water in the event
of an oil spill and it causes a significant decrease in air pollutants. Use
of ETBE and other renewable energy sources are one of the many ideas rural America
has suggested in regard to the energy bill. This moves the U.S. towards an energy
policy that is affordable to consumers, diverse and renewable.
top "Chemical
Security Act" Detrimental to Homeland Security
S.1602, otherwise known
as the "Chemical Security
Act," now under consideration in the US Senate, would have a negative impact on
maintaining homeland security. This bill is being considered as an amendment to
bill number S.2452, the "National Homeland Security and Combating Terrorism Act." Passage of this bill would give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) new
authority, thereby diminishing the authority of the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS). The National
Grange opposes passage of this bill along with many other American businesses
and industries existing as part of our national infrastructure that have been
working with such organizations as the CIA, FBI, USDA, Chemical Safety and Hazard
Investigation Board, state and local emergency response and law enforcement personnel
to ensure our nation is prepared to defend against possible terrorist attacks. The EPA's expertise exists primarily in the area of assessing the environmental
and health effects of chemicals; they are not qualified to make security assessments.
Authority of the EPA and the DHS should be relegated to their own areas of expertise.
The "Chemical Security Act" would also overburden the EPA financially by requiring
them to hire and train additional employees, conduct inspections, enforce and
review security assessments and response plans for between 15,000 and 40,000 facilities,
including many agribusinesses. The EPA, the Department of Transportation, and
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration already regulate accidental
releases, transportation safety and worker safety. Passage of S.1602 would only
create dual jurisdictions and replicate existing laws, causing a great deal of
confusion.
Passage
of the "Chemical Security Act" would blur the boundaries that exist between government
and private industry by shifting liability for terrorist attacks to facility owners.
The EPA would be allowed to collect information about thousands of facilities,
processes, and products without enduring any consequences for unauthorized disclosure.
S. 1602 would impose fines ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 per day of violation
and up to 2 years of imprisonment resulting from a mere "determination" by the
EPA that a security plan is inadequate, or that a source has violated a technical,
record-keeping requirement. By
amending the "Chemical Security Act" to the "National Homeland Security and Combating
Terrorism Act" security is not enhanced, but undermined. Both private industry
and government must be allowed to continue partnerships that have advanced security
since September 11th, without adding ineffective bureaucratic involvement.
top National
Grange Supports President's New "Healthy Forests Initiative"
In a recent
letter to the President, the National Grange expressed its enthusiastic support
for his "Healthy Forests Initiative" announced August 22nd. This initiative was
derived from the National Fire Plan, a ten-year comprehensive strategy and implementation
plan aimed at reducing the incidence of catastrophic wildfires. It established
a framework for protecting communities and the environment through local, state
and federal collaboration on fire prevention practices such as thinning of forests,
planned burns and forest restoration projects. This
year alone, a record setting 5.9 million acres of public and private land have
been destroyed, resulting in tens of thousands of people being evacuated from
their homes and farms. Although well intentioned, current land management practices
are insufficient in addressing the safety precautions needed for forests and rangelands
in the Western United States. Because of their high density, these areas burn
at unnaturally high temperatures and at an alarming rate, making the fires difficult
to control, dangerous to fight and cause long term environmental damage. The
President's "Healthy Forest Initiative" is a step in the right direction. It promotes
responsible land stewardship, protects the environment and communities, and will
put an end to needless lawsuits. Most important of all, it ensures the safety
and peace of mind of the many rural Americans living near forests and rangelands.
National
Grange Joined the "Dish the Merger!" Rally
On September 4th, diverse grassroots
groups participated in a rally against the Hughes and EchoStar Communications
satellite TV merger outside the U.S. Justice Department. "If this merger is allowed,
one company will dominate digital services in rural America. It will cause higher
prices, declining customer service, inferior programming and stifled innovation
with lack of choice," remarked Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) at the beginning of the
rally. Activists representing various grassroots organizations such as Communication
Workers of America, American Council of the Blind, National Action Network, The
Latino Coalition, National Association of Broadcasters, American Cable Association,
American Antitrust Institute, and National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative
(NRTC) gave short speeches demanding Congress, the Department of Justice and the
Federal Communications Commission to oppose this proposed merger. Bob Phillips,
President and CEO of the NRTC, said, "The United States was built on the idea
of competitive choice." He asserted that the merger would make rural households
lose Internet access and video programming. Press reporters and approximately
100 voluntary participants attended the rally.
top
National Grange Invites You to "Imagine the Possibilities!"
The National Grange invites you to "Imagine the Possibilities" in Portland,
OR for our 136th Annual Convention, November 11th - 17th. You will have the opportunity
to experience such events as the "Change with the Grange" keynote address given
by internationally known motivational speaker Jay Lehr and the "Celebration Banquet"
featuring an address by OSU political scientist and commentator Bill Lunch. In
addition, there will be a plethora of other events such as grassroots advocacy
workshops, the "Annual Talent Show," the inspirational "Conferral of the Sixth
and Seventh Degrees" and a tour of the Columbia River Gorge! It's not too late
to register so plan now! Click here for registration and hotel
information or call 1-888-447-2643.
top |
