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Urgent: Farm Bill Can Help End Food Crisis

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Oxfam America

BREAKING NEWS, 16 MAY 2008: The Farm Bill has now passed both in the House and Senate. Thank you to everyone spoke out on this issue.

The world is faced with a global food crisis. The prices of wheat, rice, and maize are skyrocketing.

Don't let Congress pass up a major opportunity to help address the food crisis by shifting payments for wealthy farmers to desperately needed funding to help the hungry around the world. Congress is in final negotiations on the Farm Bill and this legislation could make a difference. Some farmers making up to a million dollars a year receive support from the farm bill, but the poor affected by the food crisis do not. Does that sound right to you?

The farm bill could come to a final vote as early as Wednesday, May 14. Your urgent action is required!

Even a small cut in subsidies to rich farmers could provide funds to help millions who are hungry. Poor people around the world cannot wait any longer. Please tell Congress to address the food crisis today.

deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 10,000

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I am writing to request your urgent action to address the spiraling food crisis affecting poor countries around the world. Recent food price shocks highlight the need for immediate actions to address the growing food insecurity in developing countries.

As the donor for nearly half the world's food aid, the US has a special role to play in responding to the current situation. That is why we urge you to make the Farm Bill a more effective vehicle to help address world hunger. We would like to draw your attention to two issues that would help address the global hunger crisis.

First, support the Administration's initiative to shift one quarter of US food aid to local and regional procurement. Making the US food aid program more flexible and faster will save taxpayer dollars and feed more hungry people.
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Second, remove the so-called "hard earmark"-or provide a workable waiver-so that food aid funds can be shifted from non-emergency aid in the event of emergencies. Both the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill included measures to prohibit the shifting of funds within the food aid budget. While the rationale behind this measure is fundamentally sound, to protect development oriented food aid programs, the impact could be disastrous if it means that funds would not be available in the case of emergencies.

Tens of millions of people rely on American food aid to survive. Americans should be proud of this critical contribution to addressing global hunger. But Congress needs to ensure that our food aid programs are as efficient and effective as possible. Permitting the use of local purchase and shifting of funds within the food aid budget would help in this regard.

I thank you for your consideration.
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Sincerely,
[Your name here]

We took action on “Urgent: Farm Bill Can Help End Food Crisis”!

# 100:

2:32 pm PDT, May 9, Gina Gunsolley, New Jersey

# 99:

2:32 pm PDT, May 9, Barb Shank, Ohio

# 98:

2:31 pm PDT, May 9, Andrea McNutt, Illinois

# 97:

2:31 pm PDT, May 9, Renee Ramey, Rhode Island

# 96:

2:27 pm PDT, May 9, Gene Labovitz, California

# 95:

2:26 pm PDT, May 9, Name not displayed, New York

# 94:

2:25 pm PDT, May 9, Elaine Fischer, Texas

# 93:

2:24 pm PDT, May 9, Maria Harrison, Tennessee

# 92:

2:19 pm PDT, May 9, Michelle Enderlin, North Carolina

# 91:

2:16 pm PDT, May 9, Karen Orner, Maryland

# 90:

2:15 pm PDT, May 9, Selena Millman, Ohio

# 89:

2:14 pm PDT, May 9, Joseph Sullivan, Montana

# 88:

2:14 pm PDT, May 9, Nancy Woodman, Massachusetts

# 87:

2:14 pm PDT, May 9, Caroline Fraissinet, New Jersey

# 86:

2:10 pm PDT, May 9, Richard Hover, Florida

# 85:

2:09 pm PDT, May 9, Jessica Miller, Florida

# 84:

2:09 pm PDT, May 9, Anne Peebles, Washington

# 83:

2:08 pm PDT, May 9, Linda Andersson, Washington
Rich farmers hoard their money and resources while poor farmers struggle and poor people go hungry. Please help.

# 82:

2:08 pm PDT, May 9, Diane Barth, New York
With all of the environmental problems we face daily; problems which are causing serious health issues to people all around the world (E.g. Hurricane Katrina, Tsunamu)how can we not help feed those who can't themselves by no fault of their own?

# 81:

2:06 pm PDT, May 9, Carla Thomas, California

# 80:

2:05 pm PDT, May 9, Randal DeMichiei, Pennsylvania

# 79:

2:05 pm PDT, May 9, Name not displayed, California

# 78:

2:04 pm PDT, May 9, David Staley, California

# 77:

2:03 pm PDT, May 9, Karen Kater, Pennsylvania

# 76:

2:01 pm PDT, May 9, Name not displayed, Greece

# 75:

2:00 pm PDT, May 9, Dave Waugh, Texas

# 74:

1:59 pm PDT, May 9, Suzanne Jedrzejewski, New York

# 73:

1:59 pm PDT, May 9, Chuck Meares, Washington

# 72:

1:58 pm PDT, May 9, Tina Hughes, Pennsylvania

# 71:

1:55 pm PDT, May 9, Pj Leight, Illinois

# 70:

1:55 pm PDT, May 9, Sonia Hernandez, Florida

# 69:

1:53 pm PDT, May 9, Kristin Cash, Illinois

# 68:

1:53 pm PDT, May 9, Amanda Alsborg, California

# 67:

1:52 pm PDT, May 9, C Pe, California

# 66:

1:51 pm PDT, May 9, Annie Brasket, Texas
would JESUS help them?

# 65:

1:49 pm PDT, May 9, Robin Poling, New Mexico

# 64:

1:48 pm PDT, May 9, Paul D. Turnley, Connecticut

# 63:

1:48 pm PDT, May 9, Name not displayed, New York

# 62:

1:45 pm PDT, May 9, William Houghton, California

# 61:

1:44 pm PDT, May 9, Name not displayed, New York

# 60:

1:41 pm PDT, May 9, Amy Kelly, Colorado

# 59:

1:41 pm PDT, May 9, Carol Perkins, Indiana

# 58:

1:38 pm PDT, May 9, John Bazluke, Florida

# 57:

1:37 pm PDT, May 9, Teana Milleson, Kansas

# 56:

1:36 pm PDT, May 9, Tzipora Katz, New Jersey

# 55:

1:35 pm PDT, May 9, Ewrt Wt, Idaho

# 54:

1:35 pm PDT, May 9, Marilyn Mitchell, New York

# 53:

1:35 pm PDT, May 9, Wendy Weber, Oklahoma

# 52:

1:34 pm PDT, May 9, Linda Domina, Pennsylvania

# 51:

1:33 pm PDT, May 9, Jenni Boonjakuakul, Iowa

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