Meat Subsidies: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
In 2008, a five year Farm Bill was passed which is grossly unfathomable, but provides billions of dollars in subsidies. Most of them go to huge agribusinesses producing food crops, such as corn and soy, which are then fed to animals. By funding these crops, the government supports the production of meat and dairy products at the expense of vegetarian crops. Fruit and vegetable receive less than 1 percent of government subsidies.1 Oregon only ranks 33 out of 50 states receiving subsidies for a total of $1.02 billion over 15 years. Out of the 10 leading types of subsidies given to Oregon farmers, wheat ranks first with $617,308,394; while apples, the only vegetarian crop of the list, ranks last with $5,835,391.2
Direct cash payments are not the only way the government subsidizes meat over vegetarian farming. Ranchers are charged a pittance to graze their cattle on 258 million acres of public land. The fee of $1.43 per “animal unit month” (how much a cow and her calf can eat in one month) 3 barely covers the BLM administrative costs. In addition to grazing their cattle so cheaply, ranchers also do not have to mitigate any environmental damage they do to the land, since they are only using it.
Subsidies are also awarded to absentee land owners looking for tax advantages and a free handout. A cute video set to the tune of “Green Acres” spoofs these subsidy recipients at www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hbaA3LcGUY 2007 City Slickers Farm Subsidies. Don’t let the 2007 date fool you. This act runs until 2013 and is renewable without change for two more years after that.
All these subsidies allow meat products to be sold to the public at a fraction of their actual cost. The public then believes that vegetarian foods are unrealistically expensive, when actually hamburger meat should cost $35.00 per pound.4 That price takes into consideration the water used by the meat industry (2,5000 gallons compared to 25 gallons for wheat) which is subsidized by taxpayers.5 Local or international competition is stifled, and we the consumers are cheated on so many fronts.
There are many, mostly political reasons why our government is so biased toward giving our taxpayer money to the meat industry. Even though it is hard to struggle against the obscenely enormous amounts of money the agribusiness funnels into election campaigns ($120 million in 2008)6, the health, environmental and ecological benefits of vegetarianism are priceless.
Nevertheless, vested interests and public indifference allows this political farce to continue. Our web site (http://ecopolhybridversusveggies.weebly.com/index.html) can be a place to direct our elected government officials to inform them about the values of vegetarianism and the drawbacks of this bill. Letters to legislators such as Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) who chairs the powerful Senate Nutrition and Forestry Committee might have more effect, especially if you are from Arkansas.7 Other committee members and addresses can be found at http://ag.senate.gov/site/cmtemembers.html).
By Shannon Vincent
References:
3 www.opensecrets.org
4 Simone Spearman, “Eating More Veggies Can Help Save Energy”, San Francisco Chronicle, June 29, 2009.
5 http://Commondreams.org
6 Michelle Simon , “The Politics of Meat and Dairy: How Bi Business Influences Government Policy and Our Food Choices”, Earthsave News
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