Congress, for years, has been influenced by special interest groups. That’s no surprise to most of us. However, there is one particular congressional issue that is harming the health of millions of Americans: The Farm Bill. Although, in the past, the Farm Bill was ostensibly meant to help the small American farmer remain competitive in a global market, it has morphed into something entirely different. As a result, health care costs have skyrocketed, and the eating habits of Americans have gone downhill.
When one refers to “The Farm Bill,” it generally encompasses every bill passed by Congress since the 1965 Food and Agricultural Act. These bills have a very important influence on what children are fed in their school lunches. Each bill provides billions of dollars in subsidies – primarily to Corn, Soybean, Meat, and Dairy. On the other hand, fruit and vegetable farmers are given only 1% of the subsidies.
How Farm Policy Affects Public Health Care
The 2006-2007 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel had this to say about the country’s farm policy: “Current agricultural and public health policy is not coordinated—we heavily subsidize the growth of foods (e.g., corn, soy) that in their processed forms (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated corn and soybean oils, grain-fed cattle) are known contributors to obesity and associated chronic diseases, including cancer.”
The result? Our government actively supports unhealthy eating through its subsidies. Corn is turned into high-fructose corn syrup, while meat and dairy provides a low-cost, high-fat staple at below market rates. Ultimately it means that a Big Mac costs less than a healthy salad, which contributes to a nationwide obesity epidemic. At the same time Agribusiness is most profitable producing high-yield feed crops, so the government is also influenced by the big dollars of Big Agriculture.
In 2008, the Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment, would have drastically changed the status quo, but the bill was ultimately defeated because Democrats feared they would lose valuable seats in the 2008 Congressional Elections. It was quashed 117 to 309.
Congress, for years, has been influenced by special interest groups. That’s no surprise to most of us. However, there is one particular congressional issue that is harming the health of millions of Americans: The Farm Bill. Although, in the past, the Farm Bill was ostensibly meant to help the small American farmer remain competitive in a global market, it has morphed into something entirely different. As a result, health care costs have skyrocketed, and the eating habits of Americans have gone downhill.
When one refers to “The Farm Bill,” it generally encompasses every bill passed by Congress since the 1965 Food and Agricultural Act. These bills have a very important influence on what children are fed in their school lunches. Each bill provides billions of dollars in subsidies – primarily to Corn, Soybean, Meat, and Dairy. On the other hand, fruit and vegetable farmers are given only 1% of the subsidies.
The 2006-2007 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel had this to say about the country’s farm policy: “Current agricultural and public health policy is not coordinated—we heavily subsidize the growth of foods (e.g., corn, soy) that in their processed forms (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated corn and soybean oils, grain-fed cattle) are known contributors to obesity and associated chronic diseases, including cancer.”
The result? Our government actively supports unhealthy eating through its subsidies. Corn is turned into high-fructose corn syrup, while meat and dairy provides a low-cost, high-fat staple at below market rates. Ultimately it means that a Big Mac costs less than a healthy salad, which contributes to a nationwide obesity epidemic. At the same time Agribusiness is most profitable producing high-yield feed crops, so the government is also influenced by the big dollars of Big Agriculture.
In 2008, the Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment, would have drastically changed the status quo, but the bill was ultimately defeated because Democrats feared they would lose valuable seats in the 2008 Congressional Elections. It was quashed 117 to 309.
