Washington, DC--After President Bush's State of the Union Address, Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America, responded as follows:
"We welcome the President's stated commitment to take on the challenges of hunger, poverty, and disease, particularly in Africa. One important element of the solution is common sense reform to US farm policy by ending subsidies that result in the production of surplus agricultural commodities.
"US subsidies lower the world price of cotton and other commodities, hurting farmers in developing countries who also export these crops and are struggling to survive on less than one dollar a day.
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"Instead of wasting tax dollars on trade distorting subsidies, we believe the President should redirect limited resources to alternative investments in rural America, including the development of renewable fuels.
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"American farmers will benefit, struggling African farmers will benefit, and America's efforts to strengthen our energy security will benefit from this simple policy change."
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