A look at McCain, Obama farm policies

Major farm policies advanced by presidential rivals John McCain and Barack Obama:

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McCAIN

-Opposed a $300 billion farm bill approved by Congress this year over President Bush's veto. Opposes subsidies to divert corn into ethanol production.

-Supports trade expansion through negotiations "to lower trade barriers, decrease trade-distorting subsidies and stabilize an affordable food supply for all nations."

-Calls for "reasonable reforms to our crop insurance program and our system of countercyclical and direct aid payments."

-Would cap subsidies to farmers who have adjusted gross income of $250,000 or more, while providing small farmers with "a reasonable safety net."

-Pledges to press Agriculture Department officials to research drought-resistant and higher-yield crops.

-Supports indexing the food stamp program "to reflect the current cost of living."

-Would provide "marketing tools" for the fruit and vegetable industries.

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OBAMA

-Supports the farm bill, though he said he favored tighter payment limits and a ban on ownership of livestock by meatpackers.

-Calls for spending $150 billion over 10 years for alternative energy sources such as solar and wind as well as advanced biofuels.

-Backs a renewable fuels standard that encourages use of ethanol and other advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol produced from switchgrass and wood chips. Wants a goal of producing 2 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2013.

-Voted for a measure giving tax breaks to wind energy developments, credited for 45 percent growth in the industry last year. Has set a goal of 25 percent of the nation's electrical production coming from renewable sources by 2025.

-Would require petroleum makers to reduce the carbon content of fuel by 1 percent a year beginning in 2010 through the use of alternative fuels.