Reforming the Farm Bill to improve public health

The Farm Bill presents an opportunity to prevent disease, compliment individual health interventions and improve the health of all people. This legislation has the potential to support vibrant regional rural farm communities and greater to access to healthy food to reduce diet-related disease.

Designed for busy health professionals, this resource provides an overview of threats to public health from industrial agriculture practices and how to engage in timely policy discussions as Congress prepares to debate the Farm Bill.

Reasons to act

  • The Farm Bill is not framed as a health bill, yet has significant impacts on health.
  • The Farm Bill can support the production — and therefore the price — of healthful foods.
  • Mitigating climate change is essential to farmer livelihood and food economies and should be prioritized as Congress writes the next Farm Bill.