Agriculture - Taxpayers for Common Sense

Washington wastes billions of taxpayer dollars annually on inefficient and outdated agriculture policies that do not address the realities of 21st-century agriculture, modern economies, or our nation’s current financial challenges.

Many of these policies were created in the 1930’s as temporary measures to combat the Great Depression. More than 80 years later, most remain in place even though they fail to meet the needs of America’s farmers, rural communities, consumers, or taxpayers. Moreover, the programs are often over budget: the commodity subsidy programs in the 2014 farm bill exceeded the 10-year projection by $2.5 billion in the first two years alone.

We work to reform federal agricultural policy, to replace the bloated programs of today with a cost-effective, transparent safety net for agricultural producers that is responsive to current needs and conditions, and in which all parties are held accountable for producing results benefiting the public interest. We monitor legislation, track costs of implementation, and research and analyze the cost-effectiveness of the current 20 billion dollar agribusiness welfare programs.