[asia-apec 1747] Write your congressional repesentatives about sustainable agriculture re

[Anuradha Mittal]

Action needed by the Senate Appropriations sucbommittee on Agriculture,
Rural Development, & Related Agencies.
Please write to your senator to urge her/him to support funding for two 
key
programs for fiscal year 2002.  Members of the appropriations 
subcommittee
include:
Thad Cochran R (MS) chair, Arlen Specter R (PA), Mitch McConnell, Jr. R
(KY), Conrad Burns R (MT), Larry E. Criag R (ID), Ted Stevens R (AK),
Herbert Kohl D (WI), Tom Harkin D (IA), Byron L. Dorgan D (ND), Dianne
Feinstein D (CA), Richard J. Durbin D (IL), Tim Johnson D (SD), Robert 
C.
Byrd D (WV).

Ask your senator to advocate for $20 million for the Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program ($15 million for 
research
and $5 million for extension and outreach).  In its 13-year history SARE
has funded 57 projects addressing California farmers' questions.  SARE
allows farmers to participate in broader institutional research, and the
program's close links between research and outreach mean that research 
is
focused on farmers' needs.

The second program we want the senators to fight for is the Farmers'
Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) which provides vouchers for low-income
citizens to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets.  
The
FMNP is extremely cost effective.  In Fiscal Year 1999, more than 1.5
million WIC participants and 45,000 non-WIC participants redeemed
approximately $14 million in coupons through over 11,439 farmers selling 
at
more than 1,800 farmers' markets.The $20 million in current funding 
serves
just 41 states.  Ask your senator to support $25 in funding to allow the
program to serve more states, and more users in each state.

The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition pilot program is now distributing 
$15
million in coupons to persons 60 years or over.  Ask your senator to 
fight
for $25 million for this program for Fiscal Year 2002..

Send your letter addressed to your senator to US Senate, Washington DC
20510.  To be effective, your letter must be received by Thursday, April 
5.
or e-mail  senator at lastname.senate.gov.  For example
senator at feinstein.senate.gov
For more information visit the senate web site at www.senate.gov

Please forward this e-mail to friends.  Working together we can build a
world where everyone has the economic human right to food.  Thanks.

Join the fight against hunger. For more information contact foodfirst at foodfirst.org.

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