Every five years or so, Congress passes
what is essentially the same farm bill they've passed for the
last several decades, calling for the subsidization of the
same five crops: corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, and rice.
There are some subtle changes here and there, but it's
essentially the same bill every time, allowing farmers of
those crops to be paid a subsidy for every bushel they
produce. It also guarantees a supply of those commodities that
far exceeds the demand.
However, since the nation's concept of farming is totally
antiquated, most of us believe that the bill is meant to
provide Farmer John with a chance to make a living while he
feeds his cows and pigs and raises his brood of young'ns. The
only problem is that Farmer John, as we remember him from the
30s and 40s, no longer exists. The farm bill benefits giant
corporate farms who have as little resemblance to out
out-dated view of farmers as lightning has to a lightning bug.
But that's not the worst of it. On an even more sinister side,
the farm bill is also killing thousands of Americans every
year from obesity and the diseases that come with it. As the
poorest Americans continue to get fatter--along with the
country as a whole, the cost is enormous and will only
continue to rise.
There are, however, signs that Americans may finally be waking
up to the problem. For instance, many people within the
public-health community have recognized the connection between
the farm bill and obesity, and have begun to spread the word
that we can't fight one without tackling the other.
On another front, folks in the environmental community have
long understood the dangers to human beings and to the
environment presented by corporate farming practices, and
though it's been a long, hard struggle, organic methods and
healthier alternatives are finally beginning to make in-roads
with consumers.
The World Trade Organization helped the cause in 2004, as
well, by ruling that America’s cotton subsidies were illegal.
Only time will tell if the WTO can obtain similar rulings
about the other four subsidized commodities.
The farm bill is outmoded and dangerous to the health of
America’s people and to our environment. Contact your
congressional representatives and voice your displeasure and
concern. Join grassroots movements and push for change. We all
have a stake in stopping the insanity, and if we don't act,
the insanity will continue.
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Copyright
© 2007 Jeanette J. Fisher
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America's "Dream Home"
Maker, Jeanette Fisher creates home for
glorious living and top-dollar sales. She also helps women
achieve their dream life with Bamboo Women™ activities and
education on topics like the connection between the Farm Bill
and Obesity.
Jeanette Fisher