Ending Our Health/Environmental Disaster

Back in the 1970’s the Nixon administration stopped controlling the price of corn by controlling production and started full subsidy of corn and other grains. This expedited a movement toward growing all animals in corn based feedlots including ruminant animals, and the development of 14 new elements from the corn molecule including high fructose corn syrup. As a result new high processed food system evolved. Since corn has the highest nitrogen need and the lowest uptake efficiency of any crop the dominance of corn accelerated the eutrophication process in the Nations Waters and the loss of species in Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and all other Eastern Estuaries. Grain farming and feedlot animal production became dominant. Small family farms disappeared and large corporate farms also became dominant.

In addition to the destruction of our Natural resources including our soil resources, corn-based food was higher in fat and sugar and obesity of adults and children became evident. We now recognize that 19% of children are obese and a third of adults. Longevity of the population is now in decline for the first time in American history. The sustainable agricultural movement, which started at the Universities, has long recognized this basic misdirection of our agriculture. What is new is the general public recognition and recently the recognition of Government agencies including USDA, FDA, the recently the First Lady and many in the press.

The first step in unraveling this food and ecological disaster is an ending of grain subsidies. Unfortunately a strong bureaucracy led by the American Farm Bureau, the Fertilizer Institute, the Pharmaceutical Industry, and others who benefit from the current system are giving massive amounts of money to maintain farm subsidies and the status quo. Only you, the taxpayer, armed with knowledge can stop this assault on our Health and our Natural Resources