The current Farm Bill is set to expire in October. Take action to advance this comprehensive legislation.
The reauthorization of the Farm Bill faces a critical moment. This comprehensive legislation, which governs our nation’s food, agriculture, nutrition and rural infrastructure programs, remains stalled due to partisan disagreements over funding, pitting hunger, farm conservation and commodity subsidies against each other. This comes as the Farm Bill has been given only temporary extensions since it was last passed in 2018. It will expire if no action is taken before October 1, 2025, leaving many “orphan” and emergency farm programs unfunded, allowing nuanced strategic policies to fall out of-date, and continuing a cycle of uncertainty for farmers to maintain their livelihoods.
Our interconnectedness is emphasized in ELCA social teaching (see the ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All), recognizing that farmers, families that rely on food assistance and those of us in-between are all part of God’s beloved community. Many church food pantries, hunger ministries, volunteers and food bank partners are crucial to delivering reliable hunger assistance nationwide and are concerned by recent policy developments that would significantly limit SNAP assistance and harm millions of families. And as rural America faces building challenges – from a destructive weather season for agriculture to declining population and a severe labor shortage – confident policy clarity and infrastructure support are needed now more than ever.
Congress must pass a comprehensive farm bill that strengthens rural communities, supports sustainable agriculture, ensures robust nutrition programs, addresses climate challenges and authorizes international food aid programs.
As the House of Representatives aspires to schedule a late committee vote at the end of October, lawmakers should know that any farm bill should restore recently cut food assistance, meet demand for over-subscribed conservation programs, bolster our capacity to fight global hunger and be adequate for farmers across the nation. The current extension expires soon, and further delays only increase uncertainty for farmers and families alike.
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[Posted: 9/26/2025]
