US Agriculture Policy Promotes Poor Eating Habits

***Action Alert from U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)***

Stop Subsidizing Obesity

Thanks to $245 billion in agribusiness subsidies, the price of soda has gone down by more than 20 percent in the last 20 years, while the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has increased 40 percent.

How You Can Help

Join our call for action

Today, U.S. agriculture policy artificially makes poor eating habits an economically sensible choice, but with growing public concern about obesity and a commitment from Congress to tackle wasteful spending this year, we have an opportunity to build enough public support to win.

Overview

Today, U.S. agriculture policy artificially makes poor eating habits an economically sensible choice: Agriculture subsidies drive down the cost of commodity crops (including corn and soybeans) while prices for fruits and vegetables (grown with relatively little government support) have increased nearly 40% in the past 20 years. 



Low growing costs for corn and soybeans make sugars and fats some of the cheapest foods to produce, and Big Ag has used its clout in Congress to put billions into taxpayer subsidies that make corn sugars, hydrogenated oils and other products tied to obesity cheaper. 



While the cost of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soybean oil has gone down, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that since 1970, obesity rates in 6- to 11-year-old children have quadrupled. Today, 1/3 of all children are overweight or obese. 



We must reform agricultural subsidies to reduce or eliminate the subsidies for commodity crops that artificially lower the cost of unhealthy foods.



As the 112th Congress reviews the federal budget and reauthorizes the Farm Bill, we have the opportunity to cut these wasteful subsidies, and we'll be fighting big agribusiness—from Archer Daniels Midland to Monsanto—to do it.

http://www.uspirg.org/issues/toxics-public-health/stop-subsidizing-obesity2