The federal farm bill is up for renewal this year, which is of no small concern to Kansas and other states whose economies are closely tied to agriculture.

Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole and former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle last week released a plan for reforming the nation’s agricultural policy. They proposed eliminating direct subsidy payments to farmers but retaining countercyclical payments that provide supplemental income when commodity prices are low. The plan would save the U.S. Treasury about $4.7 billion, the former senators said.

To help farmers stay afloat, Dole and Daschle’s plan would encourage them to take part in emerging markets such as renewable fuels.

Both Dole and Daschle have served on the Senate Agriculture Committee and Daschle was a key player in writing the last farm bill, which was passed in 2002. That doesn’t mean, however, that they necessarily are on the same page with current members of Congress, including Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, who is a senior Republican on the Agriculture Committee and has been outspoken in his opposition to trimming farm programs.

Much has been written about abuses of federal farm subsidies. Although most farmers aren’t getting rich off U.S. Department of Agriculture payments, some corporate entities have found ways to profit unfairly from federal farm programs. The Dole-Daschle plan would cap individual farm payments at $250,000 and close a loophole that allowed corporations to obtain farm payments through multiple entities.

The pair said last week that in a global market, farmers must look for new sources of income. Their program would encourage farmers to get into ethanol production and other renewable energy sources, such as wind power. The traditional 3-F farm program that supports food, feed and fiber, Daschle said, now should include a fourth F: fuel.

Dole and Daschle both come from states with a heavy reliance on agriculture and have some expertise to offer on this topic. The proposal offers some out-of-the-box thinking and deserves consideration by current policy makers. Many farmers probably would applaud the opportunity to respond better to market forces for food and fuel.

However, in an effort to branch into other areas, those writing agriculture policy shouldn’t neglect the primary mission of American agriculture to be a stable and safe source of food for the nation, as well as key exporters. It’s good to respond to market forces and move into new ventures, but we can’t lose sight of the vital role American farmers play in feeding the nation.