As the Iowa Caucus draws closer, presidential candidates have been campaigning heavily in Iowa, bringing up their platforms on agriculture-related issues.

Some professors in the College of Agriculture are concerned about the way agricultural policies are being approached by the candidates.

Most of the political candidates, including Vice President Al Gore, former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and publisher Steve Forbes, have been discussing the changes they would like to make to help family farmers and the state’s farm economy.

Farm and environmental issues the candidates have touched on include creating better trade relations with China, supporting or not supporting ethanol subsidies, giving crisis money to farmers in emergencies and creating tax-deferred savings accounts for farmers.

Agriculture is a hot topic in this year’s campaign, as the candidates are touting various plans, and Republican candidate Arizona Sen. John McCain isn’t even campaigning in Iowa because of his opposition to ethanol subsidies.

“So far on both sides, we are hearing a lot of discussion and concern stated, but I want to see what the real programs will be and how they will put them into effect,” said Lee Burras, assistant professor of agronomy.

Most of the candidates are centering their farm issues platform around different ways to enhance the farm economy to help family farmers because the economy has been stagnant for the last couple of years, said Jim Kliebenstein, professor of economics.

Burras said the one issue the candidates keep failing to address is the environmental concerns that go along with farming, such as waste management.

“Farming can be profitable, but at the same time, profitable farming can be made environmentally friendly,” Burras said. “My main interest is how they can blend these together and address both issues in their platforms.”

Marjorie Faust, associate professor of animal science, said she believes the environment is important, but it needs to be kept in a realistic frame of mind.

“Some of the candidates’ goals for the environment are way too radical,” Faust said. “The changes are for the public good, but farmers aren’t able to catch up to the cost of what they are forced to spend to preserve the environment.”

Faust also talked about her views on global trade and the market access.

“An important point we need to be aware of is global trade and market access, both nationally and internationally,” Faust said. “As we have moved more and more towards global markets, there has been a lot more bouncing around of prices. There have been higher highs and lower lows.”

Some faculty members in the College of Agriculture were reluctant to share their views on the individual candidates.

“I haven’t researched the candidates enough to know who I support,” Kliebenstein said. “I do know that we need to step back and take an informed look at what they are saying because all too often in a political campaign, we get the general discussion with very little detail on how they will accomplish it.”