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High food prices impact all Americans, but given the lack of Congressional action aimed at alleviating the current situation, it seems that Congress believes consumers and the food industry are not concerned about the food price crisis. Now is the time to let Congress and our national leaders know that they must take immediate action to help bring down basic food prices.
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American consumers are at their breaking point!
Consider these facts:
- Food prices have already eclipsed last year's total inflation, and 2007 food price inflation was near a record high!
- A July 31 study shows that 38 percent of Americans say it is difficult to even afford food!*
- World commodity stocks are at their lowest levels since records have been kept.
- U.S. wheat supply recently hit its lowest level since 1946.
- U.S. corn supply will continue to hit new lows as long as corn-based (FOOD FOR FUEL) ethanol mandates remain in place.
UNLESS THE U.S. CAN INCREASE SUPPLY OF BASIC FOODSTUFFS, SIMPLE SUPPLY AND DEMAND ECONOMICS EXPLAINS THAT WITH INCREASING NATIONAL AND WORLDWIDE DEMAND, COMMODITY AND FOOD PRICES WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO RISE!
* Bureau of Labor and Statistics Consumer Price Index Data
** Recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
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So what can be done about high food prices? ABA believes there are two realistic solutions to the current food price crisis:
1. Eliminate the corn-based ethanol mandate.
- The corn-based ethanol mandate is a government program aimed at increasing independence from foreign oil. While arguably noble in intent, the unfortunate impact of the mandate has been record high commodity prices and ever increasing food prices. ABA believes waiving the Renewable Fuel Standard (authorized in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) for corn-based ethanol would alleviate valid food supply concerns and allow the free market to balance food and fuel needs.
- ABA also supports eliminating the ethanol import tariff and the domestic blender's credit. The ethanol import tariff presents a barrier to foreign ethanol, which happens to be much more efficient and economical than domestic corn-based ethanol. The domestic blender's credit incentivizes oil companies to blend corn-based ethanol into regular gasoline, thus creating a false demand for ethanol as a viable fuel product.
2. Open government held land for immediate crop production.
- The government run Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was authorized to encourage farmers to take their land out of production in order to restore natural vegetation to the land. Only land deemed to be environmentally sensitive was intended to be entered into the program. Unfortunately, this is not the case. ABA has strong reason to believe up to 1/3 of the land within the CRP could be released from the program without harming environmental standards. This is land that could be used for valuable food production at time when food prices are reaching record highs! For this reason, ABA strongly supports decreasing acreage in the CRP, releasing these non-environmentally sensitive lands for crop production, as well as allowing farmers to exit their CRP contracts early, without penalty, in order to respond to increased national and worldwide demand.
Taking these actions would ensure a balance between food and fuel needs as well as alleviate current and future commodity and food prices!
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Congress can and will act, but only if their constituents urge them to do so. Please take advantage of these tools in order to let your elected leaders know that they need to take immediate action to help alleviate
the food and commodity crisis!
Send a letter to your members of Congress!
Use the ABA Grassroots Action Center to send a letter to your members of Congress urging them to waive food for fuel ethanol mandates and open government held lands for crop production.
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Call your members of Congress!
Click on the phone to the left to find your Congressional Member's office phone number and download ABA talking points on this issue.
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Send an editorial to your local newspaper!
ABA has prepared a template 'letter to the editor', accessible by clicking on the graphic to the left. Please feel free to use this template letter and personalize it as you see fit.
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Register to vote!
General elections are just around the corner. Each state has different voter registration deadlines and procedures. Click on the graphic to the left to check your state requirements and register to vote.
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Can't remember who your members of Congress are? No problem! Simply click on the link to the left to find out who represents you in
Washington D.C.
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Email this action page to others!
Click the below icon to email this webpage to your friends, family, coworkers...anyone who is impacted
by high food prices!
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It is extremely important that members of Congress hear from their constituents on this key issue. High food prices impact each and every American consumer, and in order to push Congress to react to the current crisis, their constituents must take action.
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1300 I Street NW, Suite 700 West, Washington, DC 20005
Phone (202) 789-0300 Fax (202) 898-1164
info@americanbakers.orgo
