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Britain (especially England) is also one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. or other countries in Europe it makes sense to subsidize agriculture in order to 1) avoid further depopulation of rural areas; 2) maintain a strategic ability to produce food domstically; 3) prevent rural land from being developed for industrial or residential uses.

The question is how these domestic policy objectives can be pursued (by those countries who choose to) without distorting the international market price of food.

In the long term we simply cannot afford to fly food around the world.

The UK never attempted land reform and instead went the route of international trade (first colonial, then "free").

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Dec 7th, 2005 at 01:22:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Just where do you think CAP money goes?  Subsidized European produce is exported to poor countries and drives farmers there out of business.

The average cow in Europe receives more subsidies than the entire per capita income of most poor countries.  There is no way they can compete.

"In the long term we simply cannot afford" to grow sugar from sugar beet when sugar cane has a much higher yield.

by tyronen on Thu Dec 8th, 2005 at 01:37:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is just an argument against free trade in agriculture. In particular, against forcing poor countries to open their markets to first-world produce as a precondition to getting help from the IMF or World Bank.

As for subsidizing cows... Long-life (UHT) milk is nasty, and pasteurized milk only lasts 3 or 4 days before spoiling. Dairy farmers more than 3 or 4 days away by boat from Europe should not be affected by the subsidies, except if subsidized UHT milk from Europe floods the local milk market in a poor country, which would be solved by allowing the poor countries to erect protectionistic barriers...

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2005 at 01:44:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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