knowgreen’s Recent Comments

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  FARMAC - I hope you noticed my point about better targeted supports. They are extremely high on aggregate in the US and in OECD countries, but I agree that they are not targeted properly and many struggle. And I don't dispute the need to get prices right. My point mirror yours. I would like to see distorting farmers targeted, corporate pressures on farmers tempered, and most important, a fairer and more sustainable food system, for all - in the US, in Canada and in many of the developing world. For example, the dairy industry in Jamaica has been devastated because markets were flooded with cheap imports of US dried milk. Farmers were dumping fresh milk b/c they couldn't compete. Then the price of dried milk increased, and Jamaicans couldn't afford it. Nor could they afford to restart their dairy industries. Agriculture is a global, interconnected problem, and many of the struggles in the developing world are because of the developed (which is linked to the interests of a few). We also have duties. That's all I was trying to add. We need to "think globally". And indeed, many farmer movements are emerging that do just this.

  On Why are milk prices plummeting? posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago 10 Responses

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  I agree - this is poorly articulated and argued. The point is not clear. But supply and demand is a myth in this case, and a lot of points are overlooked. Furthermore, you come across somewhat unfairly protectionist. I agree on the influence of Kraft etc. and the associated attrociities, but this is only one part of a deeply complex puzzle.

  First, dairy in the US (as is all farming) is HIGHLY subsidized. This would absolutely contribute to artificially low prices. It also creates unfair exports that destroy a lot of sectors in the world's poorest countries, who become dependent on the imports of US dairy. The end result of high prices is that your prices go up, and so do the prices of those import dependent countries who cannot afford the increased prices.

  Second, some of the imports are from other poor countries who may be given prefernetial trade access in order to boost their economies. To just demonize them is equally unfair.

  Don't aggregate and oversimplify the problem - nobody wins. These problems are extremely complex. More protection without better targets of who is protected in the US will likely still only benefit large scale farmers. Most of the dairy farmers are huge and multimillionaires. The smaller ones that are struggling need their own protections, but the subsidies of the big ones have to stop. The reality is we pay far too little for our food on every scale. Developing countries who have been deeply damaged by free trade need to be supported to rebuild. Considering some trade allowances will be important.

  Protectionist nationalism has to fall to the wayside. There will always be trade. Your rant (I'm sorry - that's what it comes across as) is not helpful. There is no reason why we cannot address the problems of the world more sensibly and in a way that truly seeks to "think globally, act locally".

   

   

   

  On Why are milk prices plummeting? posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago 10 Responses