4 ms·

> Why should water be public infra but food is not? The main reason why infrastructure of any kind (water, sewage, etc) is a public infrastructure - even in la

by moooo99 9mo ago

> Why should water be public infra but food is not? The main reason why infrastructure of any kind (water, sewage, etc) is a public infrastructure - even in largely privatized economies - is that infrastructure is essentially a natural monopoly. Food on the other hand isn't and it can largely be traded as a commodity (which is, at least in my opinion, a major reason why our food system is so broken).

MadDemon 9mo ago
The food system in Europe works pretty well.
- moooo99 9mo ago
  Define "works pretty well". If your only expectation is that it provides enough calories for your population, you are absolutely right. If you have a look at the bigger picture, the issues are plentiful. On the producer side, farmers are operating at relatively thin margins which encourages consolidation and unsustainable farming practices. This in turn leads to extensive soil degradation and fertilizer use, which is unsustainable - both financially and ecologically. On the consumer side, people are becoming more overweight (which cannot be exclusively be attributed to the food system, but diet of course plays a significant role). Food is becoming more expensive and lower quality. Food waste also still is a major problem. Many issues are shared between the US and the European food system, although they may not be as extreme as in the US. However, it does not feel like there is actual political will to steer the ship in a different direction.
- throw0101c 9mo ago
  > The food system in Europe works pretty well. "Suicide Among Farmers in France: Occupational Factors and Recent Trends": * https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27409004/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27409004/ "Under Pressure: Suicides Among Farmers in Austria and Germany": * https://www.journalismfund.eu/suicides-farmers-austria-and-germany https://www.journalismfund.eu/suicides-farmers-austria-and-g... "Mental Health Risks to Farmers in the UK": * https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/43055/pdf/ https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/43055/pdf/ And Europe's policies affecting other places, "Stop the Dumping! How EU agricultural subsidies are damaging livelihoods in the developing world": * https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/stop-the-dumping-how-eu-agricultural-subsidies-are-damaging-livelihoods-in-the-114605/ https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/stop-the-dumping...

by moooo99 9mo ago

MadDemon 9mo ago

The food system in Europe works pretty well.

moooo99 9mo ago
Define "works pretty well". If your only expectation is that it provides enough calories for your population, you are absolutely right. If you have a look at the bigger picture, the issues are plentiful. On the producer side, farmers are operating at relatively thin margins which encourages consolidation and unsustainable farming practices. This in turn leads to extensive soil degradation and fertilizer use, which is unsustainable - both financially and ecologically. On the consumer side, people are becoming more overweight (which cannot be exclusively be attributed to the food system, but diet of course plays a significant role). Food is becoming more expensive and lower quality. Food waste also still is a major problem. Many issues are shared between the US and the European food system, although they may not be as extreme as in the US. However, it does not feel like there is actual political will to steer the ship in a different direction.
throw0101c 9mo ago
> The food system in Europe works pretty well. "Suicide Among Farmers in France: Occupational Factors and Recent Trends": * https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27409004/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27409004/ "Under Pressure: Suicides Among Farmers in Austria and Germany": * https://www.journalismfund.eu/suicides-farmers-austria-and-germany https://www.journalismfund.eu/suicides-farmers-austria-and-g... "Mental Health Risks to Farmers in the UK": * https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/43055/pdf/ https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/43055/pdf/ And Europe's policies affecting other places, "Stop the Dumping! How EU agricultural subsidies are damaging livelihoods in the developing world": * https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/stop-the-dumping-how-eu-agricultural-subsidies-are-damaging-livelihoods-in-the-114605/ https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/stop-the-dumping...