Then this morning a great article from NY Times. ALL subsidies for food go to big fast food corporations. It's made Americans (and Canadians) dumb, fat, and unhealthy. It's also a waste of energy, a waste of resources, and inefficient.
We need to demand better from our politicians who regulate the food industry.
Take a read: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/a-food-manifesto-for-the-future/
Some key elements mentioned:
* End government subsidies to processed food. We grow more corn for livestock and cars than for humans, and it’s subsidized by more than $3 billion annually; most of it is processed beyond recognition. The story is similar for other crops, including soy: 98 percent of soybean meal becomes livestock feed, while most soybean oil is used in processed foods. Meanwhile, the marketers of the junk food made from these crops receive tax write-offs for the costs of promoting their wares. Total agricultural subsidies in 2009 were around $16 billion, which would pay for a great many of the ideas that follow.
* Begin subsidies to those who produce and sell actual food for direct consumption. Small farmers and their employees need to make living wages. Markets — from super- to farmers’ — should be supported when they open in so-called food deserts and when they focus on real food rather than junk food. And, of course, we should immediately increase subsidies for school lunches so we can feed our youth more real food.
