Farm bill net impacts: Which State is the Biggest Loser?
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Farm bill net impacts: Which State is the Biggest Loser?
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These slides show farm subsidies in the much larger context of farm justice. Mere subsidy reforms fail as KNOWLEDGE, as JUSTICE, and as STRATEGY. These charts are based upon the traditional standard of fair farm prices known as parity. I've also made assumptions about how much supply much be reduced to achieve parity prices. My thinking here is that a "fair price" for today needs to be negotiated. In my view, a parity standard for today would necessarily need to be paired with very high standards of sustainability, and perhaps other measures of social good. It would also need an agreement that the US should make a profit on farm exports, and should include international agreements among farming countries in which supply is managed (and fairly allocated,) and minimum prices are set at adequate levels. Other operational definitions can, of course be used, and more minimal farm bill proposals may be the place to begin. At the very least, the U.S. should replace all subsidies with prices that are increased enough to make up the difference. Of course, prices should be above costs. US farm programs should be in the economic interests of the US, not in the interests of foreign/corporate buyers.
Farm bill net impacts: Which State is the Biggest Loser?
- Farm Bill Net Impacts Maps and Charts showing farm subsidies in context
- Iowa is the biggest farm bill loser. Read my blog: “First Ever? Map of Farm Bill NET Impacts,” http://zcomm.org/zblogs/first-ever-map- of-farm-bill-net-impacts-by-brad- wilson/
- Subsidies in context: Rice The horizontal line is the traditional fair price standard. Price Floors, originally at 90%, were lowered and eliminated. Prices fell. Even with subsidies, farmers got less.
- Reductions + Subsidies = Net As crop prices fell, farmers saw large reductions in value, but then got subsidies to compensate for part of it. The cornbelt was reduced by $500 billion, net impact.
- The Cornbelt nets down $500 billion. The regions that got the biggest subsidies, as shown on USDA’s “Farm Program Atlas,” http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/farm- program-atlas/go-to-the-atlas.aspx#.U- q8kyh0HCE also got the biggest reductions, for the huge net reductions shown here.
- dairy reductions: State rankings Dairy subsidies were even smaller than crop subsidies, in comparison to value reductions. Dairy is the canary in the mine of the Farm Bill.
- 5 big dairy states: Regional losers When the five biggest dairy states are combined, they net down $162 billion for dairy alone. When you eat, farmers subsidize you, net result. “Got milk!”
- 5 big dairy states: Regional losers When five big dairy states are combined, they net down $162 billion for dairy alone.
- The northeast: 9 smaller states The states of the northeast grow fewer field crops and are smaller in size and therefore smaller in total impacts. They can have large net impacts per capita or per farm.
- Appalachia: 5 Farm Bill Net Losers Farm subsidies are just the tip of the iceberg. What gets you is hidden below the surface. It can be “titantic!”
- 7 Southeast and Delta States States and regions vary in the field crops (farm bill program crops) that they raise. Arkansas is a large rice producer. Mississippi is known for cotton.
- Commodity Crops in context These maps show the lie implied in USDA’s Farm Program Atlas, which ignores the huge reductions in prices and overall value for the major field crops.
- Crops only: New Farm Bill Losers Farm Bill ImpactsThe regions that are best suited for raising field crops are also the places that are most exploited by the food and feed mills, CAFOs, exporters & others.
- North and South Plains: Losers! Big subsidies are only the tip of the iceberg. They’re used to blame farmers. Farmers and consumers are divided and conquered by the beneficiaries of cheap farm prices.
- MOuntain states: farm bill losers Congress has hurt mountain regional states too, by lowering and eliminating Price Floors. Subsidies compensate farmers for only a small fraction of the reductions.
- Pacific states: Net Farm Bill Losers California is the biggest dairy net loser.
- Even Alaska and Hawaii are losers Dairy is what registers in these states. (Data comes from USDA-NASS: Agricultural Statistics Annuals, various years.
- Subsidy reforms: A False Solution Erasing the yellow line does nothing to raise farm prices. There is zero correlation between rice subsidies and lower prices prior to 1977. Restore Price Floors! (No subsidies needed.)
- Support Farm Justice Mere Subsidy reforms fail. They cause cheap prices for junk food, cafos & export dumping The only proposals to fix cheap food are those of NFFC and NFU.