A "Green New Deal" for Farm and Food Policy

John Ikerd

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2019.091.008

Abstract

First paragraphs: I made the case for a “new mandate for farm and food policy” in a 2015 Economic Pamphleteer column—concluding that “Food sovereignty is the logical public policy mandate to support agricultural sustainability and a sustainable future for humanity” (Ikerd, 2015, p. 13). The Green New Deal, a 2019 congressional resolution, now provides a logical framework for a policy mandate to secure food sovereignty (116th Congress, 2019). The Green New Deal obviously will confront vigorous opposition. Already, claims have been made that it would decimate animal agriculture in order to mitigate climate change. It has also been widely characterized as socialism and a threat to democracy. Support and opposition likely will be divided along political party lines. They shouldn’t be. The core values reflected in Green New Deal and in food sovereignty are Democratic, Republican, and America values. . . . See the press release for this article.

Highlights

I made the case for a “new mandate for farm and food policy” in a 2015 Economic Pamphleteer column—concluding that “Food sovereignty is the logical public policy mandate to support agricultural sustainability and a sustainable future for humanity” (Ikerd, 2015, p. 13)
Support and opposition likely will be divided along political party lines
The core values reflected in Green New Deal and in food sovereignty are Democratic, Republican, and America values

Summary

Introduction

I made the case for a “new mandate for farm and food policy” in a 2015 Economic Pamphleteer column—concluding that “Food sovereignty is the logical public policy mandate to support agricultural sustainability and a sustainable future for humanity” (Ikerd, 2015, p. 13). The Green New Deal addresses the responsibilities of government not as separable ecological, social, and economic policies but as a single, inseparable policy mandate to secure the basic rights of all—of both current and future generations.

Results

Conclusion