User:Interest Group Essay

(TAB OVER)Interest groups have been influencing government and citizen life since the 1800's. All with different views and opinions. One interest group that I feel is having a impact currently on society is the American Farmland Trust. They are the only non-profit organization that is dedicated to agriculture. I also chose the organization because with more and more people entering the world and our country everyday, when are we going to use so much farmland that it becomes scarce?

(tab over)The American Farmland Trust or AFT was founded in the 1980's by a group of farmers who were concerned with the way our society was using the agriculture. Their mission was to "stop the loss of productive farmland and to promote farming practices that lead to a healthy environment" and still is their goal. Every year we are losing farmland roughly the size of Delaware, how long is it going to take until there is no sustainable farmland? AFT helped with the creation of 27 state farmland protection program. They are also here to help animals, because farmlands take up 70% of the animals habitat, so the more farmland we use, the more jeopardy our wildlife will be in. AFT is trying to negotiate with landowners to protect and correctly use the land we live on, and ration is as well as possible, and practice crop-rotation and other methods to preserve land. If we start to miss use our land to much, there might not be much left when were done, or any at all.

(tab over)The American Farmland has have been slowly but steadily changing and helping our environment. by cooperating with other organizations, government, and citizens. The American Farmland Trust and Conference of Mayors announced a few years ago that the they are going to have urban and rural towns work on policies that would help cities revitalization and preserving farmlands. They focus on having the crops grow better so that we can preserve the land better, not make it bigger. In 1981, they passed Farmland Protection Policy Act which has federal agencies examine the impact of their action, before altering farmland. They are also trying to pass agricultural amendments, such as; The Dorgan-Grassley Farm Program Reform Amendment with will apply a $250,000 max to commodity program payments and close any loopholes farms to be able to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars and the Brown-Sununu Crop Insurance Reform Amendment, which would reduce abuse in the federal crop insurance program, they are also trying to reduce the Federal deficit. They want to reshape farming back to the way it was, so that we can preserve land. Also, they want to have better food programs in the U.S., so people can eat nutritiously and healthy. The AFT has also written many books as a guide to help farmers. A large problem that they are trying to change also, is how many farmers are putting hormones into there animals, in order to make them larger, for better profit. But, it can have side effects in humans also, such as women can have there breast develop to early from the hormones. They are trying to get farming back to the way it was in the past few centuries, the safe, smart way. Twenty seven states have already signed to authorize PDR/PACE programs.

(tab over)The reason why I am interested in them, is because they are much more environmental and agricultural friendly. They are trying to keep farming going, but trying to make sure that it doesn't destroy our world in the process of it. They have helped farming in many ways already, and are still trying to change more. Not many people would be aware of this crisis unless if it wasn't for the AFT, since farming is not a very wanted job in the work force. The only thing i really see wrong with the organization, is that they are possibly not taking as strong of a aggresive stand point than id like them to. If they want to get their point across and have a stronger effect on society, they need to make themselves more well known. They are helping farming dramatically though, and in the future, will help it even more.

(tab over) In conclusion, the American Farmland Trust is fighting towards helping our country, and the world, return to the old farming ways. Attempting to pass amendments, books to help show how to correctly farm, and to change our schools food programs, so that American students can eat better. Their goal is to be able to control the amount of farmland used, so that in the future, we will not have to worry about scarcity. The American Farmland Trust has already helped preserve land, and will continue to help more in the near future.