What Is Slow Food > Slow Food USA Blog > Budget cuts could be a recipe for change or disaster
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Budget cuts could be a recipe for change or disaster
Posted on Mon, October 24, 2011 by Slow Food USA
26 Comments | Categories: Contaminated Food, Farms and Farming, Food Justice, News, Current Events, Policy, School Food, Take Action,
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Behind closed doors, lobbyists for food system giants are pressing lawmakers to continue the status quo or make cuts elsewhere. Whose belts do they think should be tightened?
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- NUTRITION: nutrition programs that provide critical access to food in this time of economic crisis. These programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called “food stamps”), the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and affordable school lunch. When nearly 50 million people in the U.S. live in constant threat of hunger, cutting the budget for these programs is an outrage.
- JOB CREATION: programs that support family farms, create jobs, and keep money in rural communities. In a recent letter to the co-chairs of the “super committee,” House Agricultural Committee Chair, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D, ME) wrote “While efforts to reduce the federal deficit remain paramount, we must place an equal if not greater emphasis on policy changes that will put Americans to work and boost economic growth. Local food systems can yield significant benefits to the economy and create thousands of jobs. According to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a modest amount of funding or 100-500 farmers markets could create as many as 13,500 jobs over a five-year period.”
- SUPPORT FOR FARMERS AND FARMLAND: a hodgepodge of programs to address environmental quality and to provide essential support to vegetable farmers, beginning farmers, and socially-disadvantaged farmers. One of the most puzzling parts of the Food and Farm bill is that the majority of the foods that we eat (things like vegetables, fruits, and beef) are referred to as “specialty crops.” Cutting the already meager portion of Food and Farm Bill funding that goes to producers that make real food- not corn for ethanol and animal feed- is egregious. As the average age of US farmers steadily reaches retirement age (the majority of farmers today are in their 60s) it’s critical to the future of our food and agricultural economy that we continue to support the next generation of farmers, especially those from diverse communities. Related to that is ensuring that developed farmland continues to be used to grow food instead of being developed and thus saying goodbye to the investments that generations of farmers have made to the soil and surrounding terrain. And yet programs for supporting new farmers and farmland conservation are instead treated like an ATM for subsidies for Big Ag. Under a Senate Ag committee proposal, these programs could lose up to $4 billion. That’s nearly 20% of their current budget.
- FOOD SAFETY: FDA funding which goes towards (already underfunded) farm inspectors who we need more of to keep us safe from outbreaks of food-borne illness. Unless the “super committee” comes up with a better plan, FDA funding could be reduced by nearly $200 million from the 2011 level. This would lead to fewer FDA staff, including those who inspect our domestic and imported foods. Large food facilities are already sorely under-inspected- just look to recent deadly food-borne illnesses in eggs, cantaloupe, and spinach.
That’s no way to balance a budget: that’s a recipe for disaster.
Click here to tell the super committee to follow our recipe for change.
It’s time to trim the fat from the food and ag programs that are making us obese, polluting our environment, and stacking the deck against small farmers. Here’s our recipe for change:
- CUT: get rid of direct payments (subsidies). Subsidies are a big hunk (15%) of the $284 billion in the current Food and Farm Bill. Eliminating subsidies will go a long way towards balancing the budget, as well as leveling the playing field to help small, sustainable farmers make a living. Why get rid of subsidies? They play a huge role in driving down the price of junk food, they enable oppressive foreign trade policies, and they prop up otherwise unsustainable farming practices.
- DISCARD: throw out the idea of hasty policy-making. Shockingly, some lawmakers are pushing to roll the entire Food and Farm Bill re-authorization process into the “super committee” budget cut process. The Food and Farm Bill is a $688 billion piece of legislation that’s the single largest determinant of what and how we eat and farm. Fair food activists deserve a chance to have their voices heard over the course of what’s usually a months-long rewriting process. We need to have the opportunity to influence the policies that will affect the well-being of every farmer and eater for the next five years.
- CONSERVE: Protect all money in nutrition programs to feed hungry women and children, and conservation programs that are critical to the future of our food and farmland.
- SHAKE IT UP: Things have to change. Shake up the status quo and focus on building a more sustainable food system.
- SERVE: Serve the interests of everyday people, and focus on supporting the farmers who feed us- not the farmers who jeopardize the future of our food.
Member Comments
From Tia on Mon, October 24, 2011
I cannot support any initiative that doesn’t include promoting a plant based diet. Factory farming of animals products is responsible for more pollution than any other sector, globally as much as 50%.
We have top stop ignoring the obvious out of (I presume) fear of litigation from the meat and dairy industry. They only have power because we give it to them by purchasing their products - which are bad for us and bad for the environment.
I realize this might get me a slew of carnivore hate mail, but I don’t care. It is what it is. Meat and healthy should not be in the same sentence and it doesn’t belong in our bodies.
From Anonymous on Mon, October 24, 2011
Tia,
I’m not going to hate you, but I wonder exactly what you think your muscles are made of if “meat doesn’t belong in our bodies”?
You want to eat nothing but vegetables? OK, no problem. You want to tell me I shouldn’t eat meat? Now we have a problem.
How about this? End ALL subsidies and price supports for farming.
From Otto Schweigenthaler on Mon, October 24, 2011
Foie gras is not factory farmed. Would that be supported? Has Slow food in any way beyond a few words supported those small producers with their policies?
From Jryan on Tue, October 25, 2011
Woah Otto, foie gras is not factory farmed? Uh, yes it is. Take a look at this.
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/force_fed_animals/
Force feeding of ducks to enlarge and fatten their livers has been outlawed in California.
From Jryan on Tue, October 25, 2011
Let’s cut subsidies to agri-business before they destroy any more fertile land for the sake of plants we can’t eat or poison the water with animal waste runoff from factory farms. Since the 1940’s Agri-business has created a 40% loss in nutritional value from our fruits and vegetables. We have to eat more calories for the same level of nutrition. They may look good and travel long distances well but they taste like “cardboard” (sorry cardboard manufactuers) and provide less nutrition. Changing how farming is subsidized will help promote a better food source and stop subsidizing the monoculture farming that is making our nation the fattest and sickest on the planet.
From Jryan on Tue, October 25, 2011
Otto, here’s another Foie Gras Factory Farm article
From Jryan on Tue, October 25, 2011
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2010/05/HVFG_050610.html
forgot the link…
From Nick on Tue, October 25, 2011
Excellent website. Lots of useful information here. I am sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks for your effort!
From Tia on Tue, October 25, 2011
Dear anonymous,
I think it’s clear that I mean meat doesn’t belong in our digestive system. Of course we have to have muscle. We make muscle the same way the plant eating animals we eat do….by taking in the dietary protein and building blocks of protein - amino acids. It just so happens the protein myth is just that - and that plant protein not only exists, but is more bio available, that is more readily digested, by us with our plant eater guts than animal protein.
If your theory holds true, then how do the plant eating animals you eat build the muscle aka meat that you eat? Cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, etc. are all plant eaters.
Whether you promote animal products or not, nobody can deny that we eat too much of it and keeping up with consumer demand has led farmers to factory farming and an industry that produces more greenhouse gases than any other. Cutting down on animal products is the single best way to improve health, decrease obesity and eliminate half of global pollution.
From Tia on Tue, October 25, 2011
PS - For anyone interested in the truth about what we eat and it’s relationship to the health issues like cancer and heart disease, this is a must read/see:
From Adam Mitchell Bernard Bond on Tue, October 25, 2011
I am an omnivore and I will eat whatever allows me survive. Humans beings are adaptive creatures and eating meat allowed us to survive certain climes and locales that would otherwise have killed us. We need to recognize that the human metabolism is incredibly complex (anyone ever seen a metabolic chart?) and that one shoe doesn’t fit every foot. There is no universally healthy diet, however, there are few things we can do to improve an existing diet. We can consider the impact of protein-dense meat in our own diets, it may or may not be necessary. Dogmatism is something best left to the last century.
Yes, most Americans eat entirely too much meat and entirely too little plant matter. Consumer demand has certainly led to unsavoury farming practises that we should ethically oppose. However, to criminalize people who eat meat is dangerous territory. Yes, we live in a society that can furnish the means to eat a nutritionally-dense diet of only plants and plant-based products, but… (isn’t there always a but)
Take industrialization out of the equation, remove global and nationwide transportation infrastructures, and then demonstrate that every inhabited region of the world is capable of sustaining people on a nutritionally-dense plant-based diet with only locally sourced foods and I might just reconsider my conclusion. If our delicate social structure ever collapses, I don’t want to be the person unwilling to taste the flesh of another creature.
As it is, I have a hyperactive metabolism and have to take in 100% to 150% more calories than the average person to maintain my body mass and energy levels. Meat is an efficient means of delivering high levels of protein coupled with a rich diet of fruits, vegetables, and complex grains. I do insist on eating ethically-raised and slaughtered livestock. Meat is not a feature of my diet, but a supplement to it. I eat 1/5 the amount of meat eaten by the average American… I don’t lose sleep at night, because I am ultimately an omnivorous animal with the will to survive.
From Gundygal on Tue, October 25, 2011
Food stamps ARE a huge part of the problem! I cannot support an initiative that does not revamp this program. What a waste of our tax dollars!!!
From jryan on Thu, October 27, 2011
From Gundygal on Tue, October 25, 2011
Food stamps ARE a huge part of the problem! I cannot support an initiative that does not revamp this program. What a waste of our tax dollars!!!
Dear Gundygal, I’m willing to listen but need more input. Please explain how “Food Stamps are a huge part of the problem”. What thoughts do you have on solving the problem?
Thanks in advance
From Jewell26Curtis on Tue, November 01, 2011
Don’t you recognize that it’s high time to get the loan, which will make you dreams real.
From Cote on Fri, November 04, 2011
Problems with food? maybe is too early to speak about this. Africans countries already have this kind of problems from centuries.
Cote Ploiesti
From Tye Ortiz on Sun, November 06, 2011
This is a great post; it was very informative. I look forward in reading more of your work. Also, I made sure to bookmark your website so I can come back later. I enjoyed every moment of reading it. I admit, I have not been on this webpage in a long time… however it was another joy to see It is such an important topic and ignored by so many, even professionals. I thank you to help making people more aware of possible issues. Great stuff as usual…
From JarvisBetsy31 on Mon, November 07, 2011
Thanks very much for the supreme story just about this good topic!
From herb on Tue, November 08, 2011
This is so sad because although there are people that do take advantage of the system, there are those that really need this help. I personally know several people that depend on this extra just to provide the basic needs. Taking this away or limiting this help will definitely put my friends in a bind. Oh if only there were better programs. herbalife programs
From Linamsith on Tue, November 15, 2011
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From smith on Tue, November 15, 2011
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From Andre D. on Tue, November 15, 2011
I think there should be some end to subsidaries and other good norms for farming.
Regards
Andre D.
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From hvac on Tue, November 22, 2011
Budget cuts is not the answer to an age old problem. Let the people decide how to be ruled, if you give freely you will receive freely. air conditioning san antonio
From Sam Cook on Tue, November 22, 2011
I’ve just grown a tase for foie gras but I didn’t think that it was made on a large scale in factory farms…or am I just being naive? I guess the more you pay the better the conditions and ultimately the life of the animal.
How to be a cook
From pete on Wed, November 23, 2011
That’s no way to balance a budget: that’s a recipe for a mega disaster! Calorieen verbranden
From Antony on Wed, November 23, 2011
Ya I agree all these points is very important or we can suffer from lots of problems health is our main goal. Food ministry should think of such points.
