Farm Bill Study: Junk Food Crops Get the Bulk of Federal Subsidies

Is there really a conspiracy to make people fat?

Well I have been iffy on this subject but after seeing this study I am starting to believe it may
be true.

Source: Farm Bill Study: Junk Food Crops Get the Bulk of Federal Subsidies | NBC 7 San Diego

A new study released Wednesday in San Diego shows that American taxpayers are subsidizing junk food at a level that dwarfs federal support for healthy foods.

The findings are being used in a campaign that targets Capitol Hill lawmakers.

The California Public Interest Research Group, CalPIRG, found that between 1995 and last year, $18 billion subsidized crops that produce four additives for food that scientists say is anything but healthy.

During that span, only $637 million went toward apples, the only significant fruit or vegetable getting federal aid – the bulk of which goes to large, corporate agri-businesses. Source: Farm Bill Study: Junk Food Crops Get the Bulk of Federal Subsidies | NBC 7 San Diego

continue at:
www.nbcsandiego.com...

When it comes to what San Diegans are paying in federal farm subsidies, according to CalPIRG, an aggregate of $4.5 million a year goes to junk-food crops, versus $160,000 to healthy food. That's the equivalent of 12 million Twinkies, versus 329,000 apples. Source: Farm Bill Study: Junk Food Crops Get the Bulk of Federal Subsidies | NBC 7 San Diego

www.nbcsandiego.com...


Here is another fact:

Since 1995, CALPIRG found that “childhood obesity had tripled…one in five kids aged 6 to 11 [is] now obese” and that “projections suggest that by 2030, half of Americans will be obese.” Further, the U.S. already spends $150 billion a year on “obesity and comorbidities,” a price tag that CALPIRG found would increase by an additional $66 billion per year if estimates about obesity rates were accurate.

thinkprogress.org...




The poor are the people who are at the highest risk for becoming
obese.
The lowest cost foods are the worst for us but they are the cheapest to buy and more accessible

Not only are the subsidies ass-backwards as far as our health goes
but other parts of the bill suck.
On top of the fact that the drought
has destroyed much of next years food production. Food prices will sky-rocket.

The quality of what the poor and you will be able to afford to eat,
unless we are in a much higher income bracket, will be an even lower
quality than than what is affordable today.

Here is what else sucks about this 2012 Farm Bill also includes cuts in School Lunches and a $16,000,000,000.00 cut in Food Stamps. (this is the "House" proposal)
Along with

12,500,000 unemployed

.www.deptofnumbers.com...
Not to mention the ones not recorded because their unemployment bennifits
have expired.

All people will affected by the fact that junkfood subsidies are a
bigger pay off than healthy foods.

Yup the only food the low income people of this "land Of plenty" can afford
to buy is junk to feed their children,elderly and selves and it does make them fat.

I've cried at the grocery store, and I grow some of my own food.
I know chldren that have never seen a live chicken, cow, pig, goat or sheep
and never have eaten a fresh vegstable or fruit.


Here are a few sites you can see more about the Farm Bill that are very relevant.

thehill.com...

www.nytimes.com...

www.politico.com...

www.nytimes.com...

www.nytimes.com...

The senate see things differently this is their bill says.

The Senate bill cuts only $4 billion from food stamps and has different crop insurance provisions than the House bill. It is also opposed by Southern farmers because it lacks price-based subsidies.

thehill.com...

This sight is Great !!
I just found it.
sustainableagriculture.net...

NSAC Archives for the '2012 Farm Bill' Category

Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: House Moves Toward Extension Rather than Reform Thursday, July 26th, 2012

With daily national press accounts on the serious drought affecting substantial segments of the heartland as backdrop, the House Republican leadership decided this week to use the drought as a cover story for extending the current farm bill for a year rather than passing a new farm bill with substantial reforms. NSAC opposes extending the Read the Rest…

Well I guess no one at ATS is concerned about how fat we have become thanks to the Gov't and
nobody cares what TPTB have in store for us.

Yeah the American people will slowly become a society of Jabba the Hutt looking creatures.

Lots of good info on what our government thinks is important. Seems like the vast majority of farm subsidies go to a small number of big farmers also. Why doesn't the government promote small family businesses instead of corporate interests more.

reply to post by azureskys


You are absolutely right! Our government is creating a nightmare situation with our food and our health. I have never seen it as a conspiracy to make people fat, but more as a control mechanism. What better way to control people but through their stomachs? A large portion of our population either can't afford real, good food, or it takes too much effort to cook real food. They have managed to approach that from 2 directions.

Hypothetically speaking, say the mass crash happens, so few are aware enough, or capable of feeding themselves. The people who can't feed themselves will turn to the government rescuers for help. If we were still capable of hunting, fishing and farming, then we would not have to rely on the government for our sustenance. As it stands now a massive amount of people already rely on them to feed their families. They are merely pushing it a few steps farther by only subsidizing the crap food that the mad scientists have created.

It amazes me how many people in their 30's are coming down with brand new food allergies all of a sudden. They are becoming allergic to our base staple foods, such as corn, and how many little kids have prevalent food allergies now? They remove our ability to provide for ourselves and families and ensure that the food that stays cheap is crap that makes us unhealthy. Yeah, it's a massive control mechanism. A hungry unhealthy population will do what they are told, in my humble opinion. Thanks for posting this! I was berry picking when you first posted though, sorry.

Ok I read it and no where did it tell you what a junk food crop was. So the whole thing sounds like BS to me. What the heck is a JUNK FOOD CROP?? Sweet corn ?? I don't like tomatoes so is that a juck food crop not a big fan of carrots either

reply to post by mikell


I think it's a reference to the GMO crops being pushed in recent years.
A lot of subsidies have gone toward corn farmers not only for food but for ethanol fuels as well.

Here is the whole point of the study...

"Let's invest that money back into community farms,” said Barry Braden, co-owner of Local Habit, a Hillcrest organic-food café where CalPIRG members and other diet-conscious activists released their findings.

Not a bad idea, really.

I have no problem with junk food or the crops that are grown to help make it.

I do have a problem with subsidizing the process with taxpayer dollars, if that it really what it happening.

However, if you go to the CalPIRG website and click on the "Learn More" link, if says Access Denied.

No details of the study to be found