A dust storm in Illinois on Monday caused a deadly interstate pileup, resulting in six deaths and more than 30 people injured.
In response, the organization Farm Action issued the following statement:
“The deadly dust storm was preventable. Our staff mourns the abrupt and senseless loss of life, and our hearts go out to the communities of central Illinois.
“Incidents like these are a tragic consequence of the shortsighted practices demanded by the monopoly corporations that control our agriculture system. Industrial practices which limit crop rotation in favor of monocropping and heavy herbicide application have resulted in unprecedented soil erosion and severe weather events — which cost us not only our agricultural system’s resilience but human life itself.
“This tragedy should be a wake up call to Congress to take action in the 2023 Farm Bill. We urge them to shift funds toward practices like cover cropping and conservation buffers, which protect soil from erosion.
“If these sustainable practices were scaled up and supported by U.S. farm policies, we would see a safer and more resilient system emerge.”
The fourth pillar of Farm Action’s Fair Farm Bill campaign calls for incentivizing regenerative and sustainable agricultural practices that mitigate severe weather and empower farmers to strengthen the resilience of our food and farm system.
Media Contact: Dee Laninga, dlaninga@farmaction.us, 202-450-0094
