When A Twinkie Is Cheaper Than An Apple: Booker Holds Farm Bill Forum

NEWARK, NJ — Large corporations are the winners when it comes to the U.S. food system. The losers? Families, farmers and rural communities, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker says.

Booker, a Newark resident, hosted a virtual town hall discussion earlier this week about the upcoming Farm Bill, a package of federal legislation that shapes the nation’s agriculture and food policy.

The June 7 town hall brought together farmers, advocates, and policymakers from across the state to discuss how the bill – which passes once every five years – can support New Jersey’s food systems and get healthy meals to the people who need it most.

Booker – a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry – made a plea for Garden State residents to keep their eye on the ball as the bill approaches.

“In just a few months, Congress will be considering the Farm Bill that impacts everyone, from those who work so hard to grow our food, to those who harvest, process, and eat it,” Booker said.

“Currently, not only are we seeing a growing nutrition crisis in our country causing an explosion in diet-related illnesses, but the current food system is benefiting large corporations while consumers, independent family farmers and ranchers, and rural communities are losing out,” the senator continued.

“It’s the reason why, because of federal policies, you can go into a corner grocery store in my community and find a Twinkie that’s cheaper than an apple,” Booker said. “Not because of the true costs – but because of the policy decisions that we make.”

“In the upcoming Farm Bill, we have an opportunity to reform our food system by investing in our independent family farmers, addressing the root causes of diet-related disease, and moving us toward a more sustainable, humane and just food system,” Booker added.

• See Related: NJ Has 1.5 Million People Living In 'Food Deserts,' Officials Say
• See Related: More Trees Can Change The World – And Newark, Cory Booker Says

Booker – a well-known vegan – has introduced a number of legislative proposals to reform the food system over the past few years. Read More: The U.S. Food Industry Is Giving Cory Booker An Upset Stomach

Reactions from participants in last week’s town hall included:

NJ Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher – “The Farm Bill Town Hall that Senator Booker set up is so needed in New Jersey. The Senator, in his role as a Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is highly engaged in determining what is necessary to support agriculture here in the Garden State, our nutrition programs, and the ways in which that funding reaches the states. He has recognized that fundamental change is needed in many Farm Bill programs. We at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture are proud to have been working together on these issues and we look forward to continuing that important mission.”

Liz Thompson, National Affairs Coordinator, New Jersey Farm Bureau – “New Jersey’s large and diverse agriculture industry needs a comprehensive and balanced Farm Bill. We look forward to working with Senator Booker to advocate for a Farm Bill that meets the risk management, production and conservation needs of all New Jersey farmers.”

Jeanine Cava, Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator of NJ Food Democracy Collaborative – “As the climate crisis worsens, this Farm Bill provides a vital opportunity to invest in and prioritize urgently needed climate mitigation and adaptation throughout the food system, but especially in farming and food production. Farm Bill spending must support the infrastructure, people, and organizations needed for building climate resilient food systems that ameliorate inequities. This Farm Bill is an important way for our country to set out on a path away from a food system that is destructive to the environment and human health, and toward a food and farming system that restores health for people, animals, and the planet.”

Laura Tessieri, Executive Director of North Jersey RC&D – “Funding for soil, water, and climate conservation practices are critical not only for building resilience and economic viability into farming systems but also for providing community benefits such as climate mitigation and improved water quality in local waterways.”

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