,,iii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #cf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #aa1 #bjbj,mr4 ,booker 7for himself and ,mr4 ,merkley7 submitted the following concurrent resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,,concurrent ,,resolution ,supporting the ,farmers ,bill of ,rights4 ,whereas the ,center for ,american ,progress reported mergers and acquisitions have increased corporate concentration across agricultural markets1 including monopolizing #he percent market share of the corn seed market through the #d largest firms in the seed sector2 ,whereas according to the ,open ,markets ,institute1 the excessive concentration in the poultry industry has resulted in half of chicken farmers working in regions dominated by only #a or #b processing monopolies1 leaving them with little1 if any1 bargaining power for better contracts or growing terms2 ,whereas the ,organization for ,competitive ,markets reported cattle prices paid to farmers from #bjac to #bjaf dropped by #ac percent1 while during the same period prices paid for beef by consumers at the grocery store increased by #d percent1 leading them to conclude that the prices paid to farmers and by consumers are not the result of a fair and just market2 ,whereas corporate concentration and abusive practices in ,america's food and farm sector are at detrimental highs1 harming consumers1 rural communities and family farmers and ranchers1 including historically underserved farmers and ranchers1 by-- 7#a7 diminishing the availability of seed choice2 7#b7 limiting the accessibility of domestic farming lands2 7#c7 increasing food prices and market manipulation2 and 7#d7 hindering access to traditional foodways and agricultural practices2 ,whereas according to the ,american ,farm ,bureau ,federation1 farm loan delinquencies are at a #f-year high and have increased over the past #bd quarters2 ,whereas increasing farm debt1 decreasing incomes1 and deteriorating overall conditions for family farmers and ranchers have caused farm foreclosures and chapter #ab bankruptcies to steadily increase over the past year2 ,whereas1 according to the #bjai ,intergovernmental ,panel on ,climate ,change ,special ,report1 agriculture1 forestry1 and other land use activities accounted for #bc percent of net global anthropogenic emissions contributing to human-induced climate change1 which is resulting in the ongoing deterioration of food systems1 including irreversible impacts to the traditional farming practices and foodways of indigenous peoples and their lands2 ,whereas1 according to the ,midwest ,center for ,investigative ,reporting1 the foreign acquisition of and increasing investments in ,american farmlands and agribusiness presents a risk to food system security and contributes to increasing prices of the country's farmland beyond the financial ability of local residents to purchase domestic farm land2 and ,whereas monopolization and an increase of large corporations and foreign interests in ,america's farming sector1 combined with a changing climate1 creates an unprecedented negative impact on the regional economic strength and security of rural and ,tribal communities3 ,now1 therefore1 be it #a4 ,sense of ,congress ,that-- 7#a7 the ,congress recognizes the many contributions that family farmers and ranchers1 including historically underserved farmers and ranchers1 have made to ,america's agricultural industry1 local food production1 food sovereignty1 rich variety of the country's abundant food supply1 and traditional and cultural agricultural practices2 and 7#b7 it is the sense of the ,congress that the ,federal ,government should encourage support for family farmers and ranchers1 in rural communities and on indigenous lands1 and ensure access to open and fair agricultural markets in the ,united ,states1 by introducing the ,farmers ,bill of ,rights4 #b4 ,farmers ,bill of ,rights ,the ,farmer's ,bill of ,rights is as follows3 7#a7 ,right to fair1 open markets ,there must be a competitive open marketplace to buy seeds1 fertilizer1 and other goods1 and to sell produce1 livestock1 and meat for all people4 ,it has become nearly impossible for independent farmers1 processors1 seed suppliers1 mechanics1 and other rural businesses to compete with multinational monopolies4 ,farmers need strong antitrust safeguards4 7#b7 ,right to feed their community ,multinational corporations have taken control of the country's food system by shutting out independent processing and distribution businesses1 consequentially locking farmers out of their local markets and denying domestic consumers local1 regional1 and culturally traditional foods4 ,in the ,united ,states1 ,native ,americans suffer from the highest rates of food insecurity with ,african ,americans and ,hispanic communities more food insecure than the national average1 which could be remedied through investment in local food systems1 greater regulatory flexibility1 and ,tribal self-governance programs4 7#c7 ,right to fair capital ,with the loss of community and regional banks1 coupled with the extraction of wealth from rural communities by large corporations1 farmers and local businesses cannot access the capital necessary to operate4 ,congress must ensure that all farmers1 regardless of background1 can access the credit and capital they need4 ,this includes ,native ,american producers and ,tribal agricultural enterprises that often must contract with ,federal agencies for resources1 and ,african-,american farmers who have endured historical discrimination accessing farm credit4 7#d7 ,right to protect natural resources ,if large corporations want to purchase land and operate megafarms1 they have a duty to protect the ,earth's soil1 water1 and natural resources1 as rural and indigenous farmers have for generations1 including the protection of acequias that sustain accessibility to water1 local agriculture1 and traditional irrigation practices4 ,corporate megafarms have a duty to support conservation by following reasonable standards for aquifer use1 manure storage1 and other land-use guidelines4 ,preserving land-based agricultural resources is vital to beginning to mitigate the impacts of climate change and preserve natural resources for both the tradition of diversified rural family farming and the cultural sustainability of indigenous agricultural communities4 7#e7 ,right to local land control1 property rights1 and protection of ,tribal lands and sovereignty ,counties and other local governments should have the ability to pass and enforce ordinances regulating the size1 placement1 and scope of megafarms to protect the value of rural family farmers' land and the surrounding environment4 ,african-,american farmers and other historically underserved farmers and ranchers should retain their land ownership and rights4 ,tribal ,governments are sovereign nations with the inherent right to independently control their lands through self-governance programs to safeguard traditional foods and medicines for their citizens' wellbeing and preservation of ceremonial practices of ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,natives1 including the expansion of historically diminished indigenous hunting1 fishing1 and gathering rights4 7#f7 ,right to food security ,foreign ownership hurts family farmers and ranchers and raises national security concerns4 ,a strict cap on foreign ownership of farms1 farmland1 and agribusinesses should be set to ensure that all ,american farmers can access domestic farm land4 7#g7 ,right to repair ,huge corporations and their ,wall ,street backers have gone so far as to prevent local businesses and farmers from fixing their own tractors and equipment1 forcing them to pay corporate technicians to make all repairs4 ,a farmer should have the right to fix their own equipment as they see fit4 7#h7 ,right to transparent labeling ,a farmer should be able to label their food accurately and transparently--including strong country of origin labeling standards4 7#i7 ,right to rural opportunity ,monopolies have hollowed out local economies and taken away the traditional pathways of opportunity for free enterprise that helped communities thrive4 ,no farmer should have to choose between continuing to operate their farm and getting access to good schools and health care4 ,no farmer should have to choose between farming and providing a future for their children4 ,farmers need the right to basic services in rural communities4 7#aj7 ,right to preserve a diverse community of farmers and farming practices ,for too long1 historically underserved farmers and ranchers have lacked a voice on local and national agricultural policies and development4 ,congress must ensure that historically underserved farmers and ranchers have fair opportunities in the market1 a seat at the table in policy development1 access to culturally relevant training and technical assistance1 and equal treatment by all ,federal agencies4