Had enough of the health care reform debate yet? As spring begins in 2010, everywhere we turn there is “news” about health care and economic reform. While important, the media blitz surrounding those political debates make it easy to loose sight of the root cause. Solving some less popular problems could help improve our health and economic crisis. Just one of those issues is subsidies provided to food producers throughout the United States.
Daniel Ketsdever of the International Debate Education Association has this to say about farm subsidies: “Subsidies are expensive and represent a burden on the American citizen as taxpayer and consumer. The USA spends $44 billion on farm support payments every year, all of which comes out of the pockets of hard-pressed American families. Subsidies cause poverty, both domestically and internationally by maintaining the prices of goods at an artificial level that does not reflect the cost of production.” (Ketsdever, 1)
More bad news comes from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. They explain that “diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and Americans are increasingly overweight and sedentary. Type 2 diabetes is more common in older people, especially in people who are overweight. According to recent estimates, the prevalence of diabetes in the United States is predicted to be 8.9 percent of the population by 2025.” (National, 1)
Unfortunately, the current farm subsidy arrangement makes unhealthy food cheaper. “The most reliable predictor of obesity in America today is a person’s wealth.” A researcher from University of Washington recently found that a dollar could purchase up to 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips, but only 250 calories of carrots. “As a rule, processed foods are more ‘energy dense’ than fresh foods: they contain less water and fiber but more added fat and sugar, which makes them both less filling and more fattening. These particular calories also happen to be the least healthful ones in the marketplace.” (Pollan, 1)
The sad result of our public policy is that we are paying good tax dollars to poison ourselves as a society. Every American’s hard-earned tax dollars are going to subsidize farm crops that in turn make us less healthy and more prone to disease. Perhaps worst of all, the money doesn’t help American farmers in need. “Farm subsidies are intended to alleviate farmer poverty, but the majority of subsidies go to commercial farms, which report an average income of $200,000 and a net worth of nearly $2 million.” (Riedl, 1)
The Great Depression led to the institution of the first farm subsidies, which were intended only as a short term solution to reduce agricultural shortfalls. At the time, a considerably larger proportion of American citizens lived on millions of small farms nationwide.“Today, farmers account for just 1 percent of the population.” (Riedl, 1) As more people began to move to the cities, big business took over.
We need to modify the current system to promote better health and reduce the burden on American taxpayers. Clearly, the goal would not be to make food products more expensive. It’s also imperative that we do not make hardworking farmers poor. There is no need to reduce food production so much as to promote worldwide starvation.
The difficulty with the current solution is that is pays farmers to produce food by the bushel. The subsidies focus on bulk crops like corn and soy, which can be processed to produce complex sugars and fats. Unfortunately, the program does not support the planting of healthier fruits and vegetables. The end result is the situation described above, where the far majority of cheap food in the center of the supermarket is unhealthy processed creations of corn and soy.
Instead of eliminating subsidies and increasing the price of food on the whole, the country needs to develop a plan that encourages sustainable crops, that vary by season, and are healthy to eat. It should be designed to discourage the reprocessing of bulk food products, and encourage the delivery of fresh foods to local markets. Surely the $44 billion currently spent on subsidies could be used more wisely.
The most powerful thing you can do is vote with your wallet. When you shop for food, take a moment to consider the source of the food. Shopping on the outside aisles of the supermarket, where fresh healthier foods are found, will help support farmers who produce healthy food. Especially during a time of economic uncertainty, every dollar you spend has an impact on how your market decides to stock products and where it decides to buy them. Even Walmart has begun to add naturally grown milk products and organic foods.
Finally, take a moment to spread the word. You can use social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook to tell your friends about farm subsidies. You can write a quick note to your representatives in Congress. You can call your local newspaper or just tell a friend. The tide of the economy and our nation’s health will be turned by millions like you who will make a small change.
Works Cited
Ketsdever, Nathan. “Context.” US Farm Subsidies, Abolish. International Debate Education Association, 31 Mar. 2007. Web. 7 Mar. 2010. .
Pollan, Michael. “To Ensure Quality Food, Current Agricultural Subsidies Need to Be Eliminated.” Opposing Viewpoints: Agricultural Subsidies. Ed. Noël Meri. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “The Nature of Diabetes: An Overview.” Contemporary Issues Companion: Diabetes. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .
“Preface to ‘What Are Some Alternatives to Agricultural Subsidies?’.” Opposing Viewpoints: Agricultural Subsidies. Ed. Noël Meri. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .
Riedl, Brian M. “U.S. Farmers Do Not Need Agricultural Subsidies to Survive.” Opposing Viewpoints: Agricultural Subsidies. Ed. Noël Meri. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .
