Crucial time continues to slip by for good legislation surrounding the Farm Bill and farm programs. We are facing a huge dilemma that could be the beginning of the end of bipartisan support for farm bills, and support from farm groups and consumer groups, alike.

The Farm Bill is much larger than production agriculture. It is an investment in the long-term security of a food system that has served our nation well. It is an investment to ensure we can feed our citizens and many others in need, around the world. Food is essential and should not be used as a political tool.

Programs from research to rural and city infrastructure, to safety nets and crop insurance have been essential in maintaining a strong rural America. They have enabled us to be competitive in the world and become the envy of the world in food production. This could all change if we continue to be unwilling to make logical investments in maintaining successful programs and systems.

The demise of the Farm Bill began when we chose to extend it, not only once but twice. As a result, we are seeing a bill drafted through a reconciliation process that only allows changes pertinent to a partisan push. Cutting SNAP and small enhancements to the farm safety net, while leaving most other programs in limbo, will widen the rural-urban divide and make the bill less bipartisan.

This approach of reconciliation rather than the regular order of drafting a Farm Bill, where the merits and challenges of programs are debated, misses the point of a government of and for the people. It risks everything we have built as a nation – from leading the world in food production to the U.S. becoming a residual supplier of food for the world. It takes the U.S. further down the path of becoming a food importer rather than having a surplus in agricultural trade. This is a poor choice when it comes to logical food policy for our nation, for farmers and consumers.

We may be on the cusp of our last investment in a good Farm Bill, if we continue down the path of reconciliation when it comes to agriculture policy. This could not come at a worse time as agriculture is headed into lower earnings and lower prices. There is no economic forecast that shows hope of improvement to commodity prices soon, which makes the Farm Bill and its safety net more relevant and important. I am sadly confident that we will be chasing another economic assistance disaster package this fall due to the low prices.

This is not a good way to legislate. I challenge our elected officials to step up and understand that low commodity prices will cause farm failures; trade wars are always a loss to farmers; concentrated monopolies always take advantage of farmers, ranchers and consumers; hungry people are not healthy for any nation; and a lack of investment into food production will make us a residual supplier, not a preferred supplier, of food to the world.