Unveiled at the news conference was a new ad, signed by 26 Episcopal bishops, calling for the Senate to pass several key amendments to the Farm Bill designed to restore "the moral foundation" of a bill that was created by Congress in the 1930s as a "covenant" with rural America and people in need. (Click here to view the ad.)

"Congress created the first Farm Bill to be an expression of the character of America and a covenant with farmers rooted in fairness, equity, and opportunity for all," said Chane. "Today's Farm Bill has strayed far from this vision, benefiting primarily large, rich farms while adding to the struggles of hard-working family farmers and exacerbating deadly poverty around the world."

Noting the Episcopal Church's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the hindrance placed upon the trading ability of impoverished nations as a result of the current Farm Bill, Chane said that "2007 is the year for Congress to reclaim the time-honored values of the past in creating a Farm Bill for the 21st Century."

Chane was joined at the press conference by Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Kabore of Kaya, Burkina Faso; John Carr of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; the Rev. David Beckman, president of Bread for the World; the Rev. Jim Wallis, president and CEO of Sojourners/Call to Renewal; and the Rev. Kip Bank of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

The Farm Bill is comprehensive legislation governing U.S. farm, food, and conservation policies. Congress must renew, or reauthorize the legislation every five years. The current Farm Bill expires later this year, and thus must be reauthorized by Congress by the end of 2007.

Throughout the year, the Episcopal Church has been working with a broad alliance of faith groups that includes Roman Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, and leading advocacy organizations. The group has been calling for fundamental reforms to the Farm Bill, particularly the system that directs commodity subsidies -- cash payments from the U.S. government -- to American farmers.

"Currently, more than three quarters of U.S. commodity payments go to the largest 10 percent of farms, with small- and medium-sized family farms frequently left out of the system," explained Alexander Baumgarten, international policy analyst in the Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations in Washington, D.C. "Additionally, the U.S. commodity payment system has been judged by outside observers -- including the World Trade Organization -- to be unfairly distorting world-market prices and supply in ways that violate U.S. commitments and make it harder for farmers in poor countries to feed their families."

Kabore, who is in Washington along with other Roman Catholic Bishops from West Africa to advocate for Farm Bill reform, said: "If our African farmers didn't have to compete with heavily subsidized crops from the U.S., they would be able to send more of our children to school, provide better diets for their families, and reinvest in the farming sector. We ask Senators to hear these voices -- far from this place -- that want nothing more than a fair chance to grow their crops, to sell what they produce and to make a living for themselves and their children."

These and other concerns prompted the White House November 6 to threaten a veto of the Senate's version of the Farm Bill if key reforms are not adopted. A similar veto threat was issued against the House version of the Farm Bill in July.

Baumgarten praised the veto threat.

"President Bush has now twice sent a strong message to Congress that our nation's agricultural policy can no longer be written without regard to family farmers and needy families in this country, and people living in endemic poverty around the world," he said. "The faith community working for Farm Bill reform welcomes that leadership, and urges the Senate to avoid a veto by passing several key amendments that will restore fairness and equity to the Farm Bill."

Baumgarten said the Episcopal Church, along with other faith partners, supports a series of amendments, the most important being the amendment by Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) known as the Farm, Ranch, Equity, Stewardship and Health (FRESH).    The amendment would replace the current commodity payment system with a safety net geared at small- and medium-sized farms while also reducing the negative impact of the U.S. on the trading ability of poor countries.

While the prospects for reform remain unclear in the Senate, the Episcopal Church continues to work with partner denominations and advocacy organizations to organize grassroots support throughout the country.  "Faith farm teams" are working in key states around the country, and Episcopalians and others have flooded congressional offices with calls, emails, and postcards, Baumgarten said.

Episcopalians can learn more about the farm bill, and take action, here.

Referring to these grassroots efforts, Chane said, "We are not going to go away. We have only begun to fight. People of faith are prepared to hold Congress accountable for passing a Farm Bill that is truly a 'new covenant' and honors our nation's commitments to fighting poverty, and reflects our fundamental values."