Spring 1990 Home   Newsletters

Summer 1990

Fall 1990

President's Message (Sandra Duckworth)
Board Notes
Cheers and Aloha
Education Fund
State Council
Legislative Wrap-up
National Convention
Report from the Hill
Food Forum Education Project Workshop (Jim Koshi)
LWV of Hawaii Board
Calendar
Neighbor Island Message

Food Forum Education Project Workshop

I was honored to be recommended to represent Hawaii at the Food Forum Education Project Workshop sponsored by LWVEF held in San Francisco on May 45,1990.

The major concern was the current farm bill. Problems faced in formulating an equitable farm program is that today's farm programs are still based on the original programs established during the great depression of the thirties.

The major goals of farm programs are to increase farm income, provide an adequate food supply, preserve family farms, conserve soil, promote exports, help the needy and improve nutrition. Commodities involved in the agricultural programs are dairy products, feed grains, peanuts, rice, soybeans, sugar, tobacco, wheat, wool, and mohair.

The issue is to improve the agricultural program with a minimum of disturbance in the delicate balance between the various goals.

Among the concerns emphasized were: 1.) trends toward larger and larger farms with fewer and fewer farms producing a large percentage of products marketed; 2.) some major production corporations taking production and processing to foreign countries where the labor is cheapest; 3.) the need to be concerned about the use of chemicals in production; 4.) conservation of soil, water and energy, and 5.) the realization that our products must compete on the world market and are integral part of the world trade agreements.

Jim Koshi

Spring 1990 Home   Newsletters Fall 1990