livestock industry subsidies.

[Lou]

The US spends $38 billion every year subsidizing the meat and dairy industries. For the U.S. to live up to its climate commitments, it must stop subsidizing factory farming.​

The United Nations wants the US to eat less meat — try telling that to Congress | The Hill

 

[Graeme M]

What is the US Farm Bill and how does it subsidize animal ag? I know I could look it up but just wondered if you have a quick summary. I often hear how the fossil fuel industries are subsidized by governments, but I think that's a tricky use of words. Usually the vast majority are tax breaks rather than direct funding, and even when it is direct funding it usually emerges from various policy programs aimed at assisting industry more generally. Many industries, including the renewables industry, also benefit from these kinds of assistance.

Also, when it comes to animal ag sector, is it misleading to say that it emits more GHGs than transport? That isn't how emissions are normally assigned - some of the emissions for animal ag are already included in the transport and other sectors (eg energy), so adding those back into the ag sector is sort of double handling. I am pretty sure that animal ag is probably only about 5-8% of US emissions while transport is about 28%. As well, it seems that land use and land use change in the US is a net sink, while methane emissions from animal ag is not a net additive to the global atmospheric store.

I'm not for a minute suggesting that the US should not reduce meat consumption or do more to mitigate GHG emissions, just suggesting that some of these claims seem a bit overblown.

 

[Lou]

What is the US Farm Bill and how does it subsidize animal ag? I know I could look it up but just wondered if you have a quick summary.

Can't be done in a nutshell. it's more than just a few laws and programs. It started during the Great Depression and I think the main purpose of it was to keep farmers from going out of business. it was supposed to be a temporary measure. It has to be renewed every five years. Then congress just keeps adding stuff.

I often hear how the fossil fuel industries are subsidized by governments, but I think that's a tricky use of words. Usually the vast majority are tax breaks rather than direct funding, and even when it is direct funding it usually emerges from various policy programs aimed at assisting industry more generally.

The farm bill has at least a billion dollars in direct funding. but you're right a lot of the funding is indirect. But most of the money goes to big scale industries not family farms. And a lot of it goes to pay farmers to grow soy and corn for animal feed.

• Agriculture is subsidized through cash payments and essentially non-repayable loans to farmers; also, the USDA makes insurance against the risk of inclement weather and pests available at affordable rates

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• Animal agriculture produces 65% of the world's nitrous oxide emissions which has a global warming impact 296 times greater than carbon dioxide.
• Raising livestock for human consumption generates nearly 15% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, which is greater than all the transportation emissions combined. It also uses nearly 70% of agricultural land, contributing to deforestation, biodiversity loss and water pollution.

It may be uncomfortable, but we need to talk about it: the animal agriculture industry and zero waste | Environmental Center | University of Colorado Boulder