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Farm Bill 2008: Who Benefits?
Between 1995 and 2004, nearly three-quarters of Farm Bill agricultural subsidies for food went for feed crops and direct aid supporting meat and dairy production. Less than half of 1 percent subsidized fruit and vegetable production.
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The Farm Bill Food Subsidies Breakdown
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Meat, Dairy:
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$51,832,388,116
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73.80% (direct and indirect through feed)
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Grains for Human Consumption:
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$9,288,990,323
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13.23% (corn, wheat, sorghum, oats, rice, barley)
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Sugar, Starch, Oil, Alcohol:
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$7,507,636,820
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10.69% (corn, sugar beet, canola, 80% sunflower as oil)
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Nuts and Legumes:
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$1,339,263,892
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1.91% (soy, peanuts, 20% sunflower as seeds)
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Apples:
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$261,540,987
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0.37%
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Total Agricultural Subsidies
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$70,229,820,137
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100.00%
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*This calculation applies only to domestic food consumption. Therefore, exports and corn grown for ethanol are excluded. Also excluded is any federal support not specified in Title I of the Farm Bill. Therefore, disaster payments, conservation payments, and purchases for food assistance programs are not included.
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The Perverse Pyramid
The Farm Bill's skewed system of subsidies helps explain why unhealthy foods are often cheap and plentiful, while healthy foods are more expensive and less available. The priorities in the subsidy system stand in stark contrast to the federal government's own advice on nutrition.
Download 'The Perverse Pyramid' (PDF)
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Farm Bill 2008 Home
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Why the Farm Bill is important
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