"Today the top 10 percent of American farmers receive 71 percent of the federal subsidy money, or $80.5 billion of the total $114 billion given to all of the country's farmers, according to Agriculture Department figures compiled by the Environmental Working Group for the last seven years.

This payment system helps lower grain prices. That helps the agribusinesses that buy the corn and soybeans and the animals fed on those grains. It has had little effect on consumers, however. Little of their food dollar goes to the farmer. For instance, a $2 box of corn flakes contains less than 5 cents of corn."


- steve 12-06-2003 8:08 pm [add a comment]

"Much of the land in the Midwest was formerly occupied by Native Americans, and some of it even guaranteed by treaties which were later disavowed or just ignored. Why not return some of this unneeded land to the tribes, and pay them the same subsidies we're giving giant agribusiness corporations to grow food?"
- steve 12-06-2003 8:13 pm [add a comment]

somewhat (not) related : farming urban detroit



- bill 12-06-2003 9:41 pm [add a comment]