Friday, June 09, 2006

Good News

Support for agricultural subsidies is starting to diminish:

Fat days may be over for farm subsidies

From the article:

Opponents cite several reasons why existing farm subsidies need to change:

• Some call them unaffordable. Pat Toomey, a former Republican congressman who heads the fiscally conservative Club for Growth, calls them "Moscow on the Mississippi."

• Some call them protectionist. Groups such as Oxfam and Bread for the World, as well as Irish rock star Bono, say American and European subsidies help flood the world market with inexpensive crops, holding back farmers in Third World countries.

• Some call them discriminatory. Hoagland says 93% of the payments go to farmers who account for just 21% of farm income.


Of course, some call them "all of the above".