The 2008 Farm Act  provides a framework for farm and commodity programs for fiscal years 2008-12. The Act amends various existing laws and adds some new programs. However, commodity policy also reflects applicable provisions of underlying permanent legislation and recent supplemental legislation and appropriations acts. Unless current legislation suspends or revises the permanent provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act of 1948, and the Agricultural Act of 1949, they are automatically in force and are the basis of current programs. New farm legislation will likely be written in 2012 when many provisions of the 2008 Farm Act expire. The following pages describe the basic features of the primary farm and commodity programs.

• 2008 Farm Bill Side-By-Side, key provisions in the 2008 Farm Act and comparison with previous legislation
• Estimated Costs of the 2008 Farm Bill, Congressional Budget Office June 2008 estimated outlays under the 2008 Farm Act

Title I (Commodity Programs)

• Direct Payments (wheat, feed grains, cotton, rice, and oilseeds)
• Counter-Cyclical Payments (wheat, feed grains, cotton, rice, oilseeds, and pulse crops)
• Average Crop Revenue Election (wheat, feed grains, cotton, rice, oilseeds, and pulse crops)
• Marketing Assistance Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments (wheat, feed grains, cotton, rice, oilseeds, wool and mohair, honey, and pulse crops)
• Sugar
• Dairy
• Payment Limitations

Title II (Conservation)

• Overview of Major USDA Conservation Programs
• Land Retirement Programs
• Working-Land Conservation Programs
• Conservation Access for Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers

Title III (Trade)

• Major Trade Programs

Title IV (Nutrition)

• National School Lunch Program
• School Breakfast Program
• Child and Adult Care Food Program
• Summer Food Service Program
• USDA Fruit and Vegetable Program

Title VI (Rural Development)

• Regional Development Programs

Title VII (Research and Related Matters)

• Farm Act Research Programs

Title X (Horticulture and Organic Agriculture)

• Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Orders
• Fruit and Tree Nuts Policy
• Vegetable and Pulses Policy
• Organic Agriculture

Title XII (Crop Insurance and Disaster Assistance Programs)

• Crop Yield and Revenue Insurance
• Natural Disaster and Emergency Assistance Programs

Program Provisions for Previous Farm Acts

• Tobacco Buyout Program
• 2002-07 Commodity Provisions  (page 24 of PDF)
• 1996-2001 Program Provisions  (page 54 of PDF)

Last updated: Monday, October 29, 2012

For more information contact: Joseph Cooper, Robert Dismukes, Anne Effland, and Erik O'Donoghue