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Imagine if farmers were growing luxury vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, beans, instead of growing several magnitudes more of cheap crappy grains that are the

Imagine if farmers were growing luxury vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, beans, instead of growing several magnitudes more of cheap crappy grains that are then filtered through bodies of animals. Of course issues exist, because inefficiency is subsidized. For example, growing quinoa is a freaking gold mine yet there's still not enough competition. Yet growing corn and wheat is a life living on the edge of bankruptcy yet it is heavily subsidized by the state everywhere. There's no free market in farming, probably never will be because the ruling class is afraid of food shortages and set-in-stone food luxury standards.

chiefalchemist 9y ago
Not to get off topic (but to support your point), I once read an op-ed that made an argument that the increase in obesity (in the USA) was due to farm subsidies. That is, cheap corn is used to make high-fructose corn syrup, and that low cost sweetener in turn ends up in everything. And of course, as you mentioned, grains make cows, pigs, etc. cheaper. Again, not ideal for the human body and even less so for Mother Nature. The free-market might lead to the same, but it certainly seems less likely.
- mlrtime 9y ago
  There is also a national security issue to make sure a nation can feed itself. The government's responsibility is towards long term sustainable food supply for it's citizens.
  - nlperguiy 9y ago
    Still, subsidies given do not really indicate long-term sustainable food supply. The most efficient way to guarantee food for the population is by growing plants directly. If it turns out that the farmer that uses the water for his grain fed factory-farm animals, then the allocation of that money was useless. There's much more protein/carbs/fiber calories per energy wasted in vegetables than it is in meat in the case of factory farmed meat. To me it just looks as if luxury foods like meat have large industry players that have influenced the law and the politicians to get subsidies they need to keep their products as cheap as ordinary poor-man food (potatoes, beans, dark greens etc.).
  - chiefalchemist 9y ago
    Feed itself? Yes. The problem is Uncle Sam has overshot that and now the majority of adults are over-feeding themselves. Note: I understand the rise of obesity is a more complicated than overeating. That said, you don't get obese by under-eating. p.s. Ironic that obesity has been declared a threat to national security. That is, we're too fat to fight.

chiefalchemist 9y ago

Not to get off topic (but to support your point), I once read an op-ed that made an argument that the increase in obesity (in the USA) was due to farm subsidies. That is, cheap corn is used to make high-fructose corn syrup, and that low cost sweetener in turn ends up in everything. And of course, as you mentioned, grains make cows, pigs, etc. cheaper. Again, not ideal for the human body and even less so for Mother Nature. The free-market might lead to the same, but it certainly seems less likely.

mlrtime 9y ago
There is also a national security issue to make sure a nation can feed itself. The government's responsibility is towards long term sustainable food supply for it's citizens.
- nlperguiy 9y ago
  Still, subsidies given do not really indicate long-term sustainable food supply. The most efficient way to guarantee food for the population is by growing plants directly. If it turns out that the farmer that uses the water for his grain fed factory-farm animals, then the allocation of that money was useless. There's much more protein/carbs/fiber calories per energy wasted in vegetables than it is in meat in the case of factory farmed meat. To me it just looks as if luxury foods like meat have large industry players that have influenced the law and the politicians to get subsidies they need to keep their products as cheap as ordinary poor-man food (potatoes, beans, dark greens etc.).
- chiefalchemist 9y ago
  Feed itself? Yes. The problem is Uncle Sam has overshot that and now the majority of adults are over-feeding themselves. Note: I understand the rise of obesity is a more complicated than overeating. That said, you don't get obese by under-eating. p.s. Ironic that obesity has been declared a threat to national security. That is, we're too fat to fight.