https://otherwords.org/we-have-the-money-to-fix-our-food-system/
[links in online article]
We Have the Money to Fix Our Food System
Imagine supporting farmers markets, child nutrition, and local
agriculture with money we spend on factory farms.
July 3, 2019
Poverty is expensive, but fixing it doesn’t have to be — at least not
compared to the status quo.
The Institute for Policy Studies and the Poor People’s Campaign recently
released a Moral Budget, and it’s a veritable treasure trove of
illuminating data proving that point.
They propose we could easily cut $350 billion from the annual military
budget — which would still leave us with a bigger budget than China,
Russia, and Iran combined — and raise $886 billion by enacting fair
taxes on the rich and corporations.
That would free up billions to help alleviate poverty and make life more
secure for all of us — including by making sure we all get access to
good food and nutrition.
The Moral Budget identifies additional funding for SNAP (or food stamps)
to the tune of $6.5 billion, and $1.1 billion for child nutrition. That
would be fantastically effective, and it would cost just a tiny fraction
of the overall savings the budget finds.
But on the heels of a farm bill that continued the cycle of subsidizing
a small group of American farmers that farm in a deeply unsustainable
way, we could use another small portion of those billions to help fix
our food system.
Our entire food industry is built upon the exploitation of labor and
land. The reason we have cheap meat and vegetables is because farm
workers — often undocumented immigrants — are underpaid to work long
hours, exposed to pesticides and herbicides that harm not only our
environment, but also their health.
It’s a tragedy. But it’s also one that can be remedied.
Funding incentives for local, organic producers would help address the
needs of our population, our health, and our planet. Boosting the pay of
farm workers and providing an easy path to unionization would be a boon
for the folks who pick our fruits and veggies.
Outlawing factory farming and the awful facilities that dominate our
meat industry would go a long way to better the treatment of animals in
America.
We also need to keep the meat industry from polluting our waterways with
animal waste, and instead use a model that’s more in harmony with
growing crops. Studies show that a farm that raises both animals and
crops is a healthier and more productive farm.
But most importantly, we need to use this money to erase the food
deserts that litter the country.
Low-income and communities of color often are situated in these food
deserts, without access to fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s a large
reason why those communities, who are stuck with processed, unhealthy
foods, have higher rates of diabetes and diet-related health problems.
Funding more urban farms, food co-ops, farmers markets, and CSAs would
help alleviate this problem, especially when used in tandem with an
expansion of food stamps. Child nutrition programs — especially free
breakfast, lunch, and dinner programs — should be universal, and sourced
with healthy foods from local farms.
Transitioning our agricultural system to a more regional and localized
operation would reduce emissions and pollution from poor farming
techniques, boost wages for farm workers, and improve our national health.
So instead of giving our military billions of dollars to go pollute the
globe, and letting big companies run family farms out of business, we
should instead pay for a better system for all.
It’d be a pittance compared to those billions we’re giving away. But it
would have a huge impact.
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