‘Sensible’ Conservation Programs Needed

July 11, 2000

American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman says federal conservation programs must focus more than ever on delivering "sensible solutions economically." Stallman emphasized formal participation in federal conservation programs depends largely on the state of the farm economy.

Speaking Sunday at a meeting of the Wildlife Management Institute, he said, "No farmer is going to get rich from our existing federal conservation programs. In fact, few farmers will get rich from farming with commodity prices what they are today. So it is more important than ever that federal programs deliver sensible solutions economically and without placing excessive and expensive stress on our operations."

Stallman, a Texas rice and cattle producer, told the conservation group that the best way to capitalize on farmers' abilities to conserve and improve the quality of natural resources is through programs that recognize the importance of private land ownership, individual freedom and market-oriented incentives.

"We expect a reasonable relationship between economic and social costs and benefits," he said. "Don't expect landowners to accomplish the impossible on their nickel. If there is a public benefit, the public should pay. Unlike other businesses, farmers cannot simply pass costs on to the buyers of their commodities."

He continued, "Nationally, farmers have suffered low commodity prices for three years. In some areas, weather has limited production of any crops. Having a small crop to sell at a low price is an equation for disaster. Pressures to save the environment when you are worrying how you can save your farm are likely to go unheard."

Consideration of agricultural productivity and property rights must be included in future resource conservation program discussions, according to Stallman. He called farmers and ranchers "working conservationists" who have decreased crop land erosion by 25% in the last 15 years -- due in part to the adoption of conservation tillage on almost 40% of the nation's crop land.

Stallman said that voluntary, local and incentive-based approaches with "well-defined, measurable and realistic outcomes" are key to successful program implementation in farm country. Farmers, he said, will buy into a program "when they recognize a benefit and are able to pursue it on their terms, without external pressure." Education and technical assistance also are key components in helping participants achieve and even establish conservation and environmental goals and objectives.

"Farmers in America are retiring millions of acres of farmland," he said. "Farmers in South America, Europe, Australia and elsewhere are gearing up, producing the commodities to fill the void we create. This begs the question: What level of enrollment is too high?"

Stallman praised the goals of the environmental quality incentive program, but he said that program is inadequately funded and has been identified as being "too cumbersome and complex." He also pointed to the grazing land conservation initiative as being underfunded.