News from the House Agriculture Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Media Contacts:
April Demert Slayton (Peterson) (202) 225-6872
Alise Kowalski (Goodlatte) (202) 225-0184

House Overwhelmingly Approves Food, Conservation and Energy Act Conference Report
Bill passes with 318 bipartisan votes

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the conference report for the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of
2008, a groundbreaking bill that invests in improved nutrition, conservation, renewable energy and farm programs and includes
significant reforms.

With the support of more than 550 farm, specialty crop, conservation, nutrition, consumer and religious organizations, House
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte, members of the House Agriculture Committee, and
members of the conference committee outlined the conference report's new historic new investments in priorities important to all
Americans.

"The Food, Conservation and Energy Act makes essential improvements in the food, farm and conservation programs that meet the needs
of Americans in cities, suburbs and rural communities nationwide," Chairman Peterson said.  "This bill will help working American
families struggling with high food prices and will ensure that our farmers and ranchers can continue to provide a safe, abundant,
homegrown supply of food and fiber."

"Agriculture policy is essential to the lives of every American and it is important that the policy we formulate is responsible,
effective, and at a low cost to the taxpayer and this bill meets those requirements. This farm bill contains more reform than any
farm bill in history. Although we call it a farm bill, farm programs only account for roughly 12 percent of this bill.  And as a
part of the total federal budget, farm programs account for only one-quarter of one percent--a two-fold decrease from the 2002 Farm
Bill. This fiscally responsible farm bill will still allow America's farmers and ranchers to produce the safest, most reliable, and
most affordable food supply in the world," said Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte.

Important highlights of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (H.R. 2419)

. Invests $10.361 billion in nutrition programs, providing needed funding for food banks, improving and expanding access to the food
stamp program by reforming benefit rules to cover rising food costs


. Devotes more than $1.3 billion in funding for organic agriculture, fruit and vegetable programs, and local food networks
o Includes a new title dedicated to the needs of specialty crops and organic agriculture, including nutrition, research, pest
management and trade promotion programs

. Extends and provides $7.9 billion of new funding for popular conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentive
Program, Farm Protection Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, and the Conservation Reserve Program

. Invests an additional $1 billion in renewable energy research, development and production i
o Encourages the transition from corn-based ethanol to cellulosic ethanol by reducing the tax credit for corn ethanol and increasing
the credit for cellulosic ethanol production

. Reduces the income cap for farm program payments by 80%, preventing those with non-farm income above $500,000 from receiving any
farm program payments and imposing a new income limit on farm income above $750,000 per year. It also requires direct attribution,
closing loopholes that allow people to avoid payment limits by receiving money through multiple businesses

. Requires mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for fruit, vegetables and meat

. Rebalances loan rates and target prices among commodities, achieving greater regional equity.

. Offers farmers participating in commodity programs with a choice between the traditional price protection safety net and new,
market-oriented revenue coverage payments

The conference report and related materials are available on the Committee's website at
http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/2007/FarmBill.html.