Why are agricultural subsidies calculated at level of the producers and not the consumers? Decoupling seems a better system than crop prices, but I think it still has complexities which prevents it from being a really responsive system of food production.

Can't the subsidies operate almost like a backward VAT, moving upwards from the end value of the produce to the consumers, which promotes premium crops (like organic, for example). The subsidy only being paid if the end consumer is within the EU to prevent dumping on third world markets.

Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.