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Doesn't the 'meat-baseness' have to do in some measure with subsidies?, ie, through the creation of incentives?

Locals I met while traveling through N Wales assured me that the sheep and farm animal subsidies constituted a real economic and environmental dilemma ...

by Loefing on Wed Nov 14th, 2007 at 02:24:22 PM EST
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One of the outcomes of the US subsidizing corn (maize) farming was a mountain of corn.  Previously the corn was used-up as cheap animal feed and to make various cheap corn sweeteners.

The governments of the world have united in the belief the best agricultural policy is to provide lots and lots of barfitudinous foodstuffs as cheap as possible to the consumer¹ with the minimum amount of labor.  The UK, in particular, has no hope of feeding the numbers of bodies inhabiting the kingdom so the various governments tolerate farmers as kind of messy, but necessary, holders of land soon to a relief road, airport extension, or housing development².  In support of this policy the idea is to prevent, by any means to hand, farmers being able to make a decent living farming.  This is primarily done through a system of subsidies ensuring the maximum amount of ecological damage for the minimum amount of money.

¹  at least as long as the daily requirements of the three basic foodgroups (fat, starch, and sugar) are met.

²  Except for the Fen country, which will soon be under water.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Wed Nov 14th, 2007 at 08:25:30 PM EST
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