Conservation will be an important issue in the 1990 farm bill debate. What once was considered as an environmental problem is now also perceived by consumers and the media as a health problem. Agriculture must think hard on how to head off reaction to public problems or perceptions in helping to draft a conservation title for the 1990 farm bill.

Senators Fowler (D-GA) and Lugar (R-IN) introduced conceptually similar bills last spring. Both bills have LISA, water and conservation components. At Senator Fowler's request, a commodity group was formed to sort through the conservation issues. The National Cotton Council was a lead player. The group met weekly with Senators' Fowler, Lugar and Leahy (D-VT) statts. We are now trying to fine-tune the ideas developed in these meetings and develop a working document for the 1990 farm bill.

Hearings, outside of agriculture, already have been held on food safety legislation and that issue probably has been lost to other committees. We don't want this to happen again in conservation, water quality or agricultural practices. We must take the lead with a positive approach. It is much more effective to be involved in the process than to wait and respond to someone else's initiative.