As Congress battles over this year’s Farm Bill — the massive US$87 billion a year legislation dictating the nation’s food and farming policies — it’s critical we spend all this money wisely.

As taxpayers and eaters, everyone has a stake in making sure this huge investment results in a healthier food system for the future. One that promotes nutritious food, produced without the toxic pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that eaters are increasingly rejecting in the marketplace. One that is climate-friendly, regenerative, and supports a rich diversity of small and mid-sized farmers who are the backbone of rural communities across the U.S. And one that ensures clean water, air, and healthy soils for generations to come.

Instead, the Republican Farm Bill — scheduled for markup in the House Agriculture Committee today –– puts the environment and public health at risk by continuing to prop up a broken food and agriculture system based on heavily polluting factory farms, genetically engineered mono-crops, processed foods, exploitative labor conditions, and over-dependence on chemical and energy-intensive pesticides and fertilizers.