Report examines role of lobbies in shaping Farm Bill

The face of the Farm Bill was the people who would be most affected by its passage: farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers, food stamp recipients, and others who stood to gain or lose by the decisions in Congress about what to include, or eliminate, from the bill. But behind the scenes, at least 600 groups lobbied between 2012 to 2014 to get their issues included in the bill, reports Harvest Public Media in "Growing Influence," an investigative collaboration with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. (Bigstock graphic)

"The Farm Bill touches everything from crops to consumers and the massive piece of legislation spends nearly a trillion dollars over the next ten years. But how was it created?" Harvest reports. "With billions at stake, hundreds of companies and outside groups lobbied on issues related to the 2014 Farm Bill and fought for pieces of the landmark legislation."

The report includes a list of reports made by lobbying groups. "With vicious fights over everything from the leveling of funding for the food stamp program to farm subsidies to conservation measures, the drafting of the Farm Bill was fraught with roadblocks at every step," Harvest says.