Subsidies with Responsibilities: Placing Stewardship and Disclosure Conditions on Government Payments to Large-Scale Commodity Crop Operations

Author
Linda Breggin and Bruce Myers
Date Released
January 2013
Subsidies with Responsibilities: Placing Stewardship and Disclosure Conditions o

This ELI report recommends that large-scale commodity crop operations that opt to receive any form of federal farm subsidy, including subsidized crop insurance, be assigned responsibility for: putting in place basic measures to reduce water pollution from fertilizer runoff; and disclosing information to the public about the quantity, type, and timing of fertilizers they apply. Runoff from the production of major commodity crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat can contribute significantly to downstream water pollution. Many farming operations already implement stewardship measures, yet nutrient pollution remains a significant national problem. The report, published in the Spring 2013 issue of the Harvard Environmental Law Review, can be downloaded here.