It is true that America’s food industry is broken. I am glad, that Senator Durbin is willing to attempt fixing it. If one measures the success of agriculture, however, as agribusiness does, then America is successfully producing large quantities of food. If one measurers agriculture by it’s only realistic measurement, which is the health of the consumer, the land and the culture, then one can say that agribusiness has failed miserably and a return to practicing agriculture in America is imperative. Senate bill 510 does not adequately address the real issues of what is wrong with America’s food production and distribution systems.

Since World War II, the farming of American lands and husbandry of its beasts has declined. Hijacked by corporations, which have become monolithic idols of financial wealth, the agribusiness model of farming fails to benefit either the land or consumer as it filters great wealth to an elite few. This is true, even in the face of increased production. If you increase the production of something that negatively affects all facets of life, the outcome is easy to predict.

There are distinguishing differences between agribusinesses and farmers. Agribusinesses manage business tools and chemicals, while farmers husband land and animals. Though chemical and factory farming has increased yield, it has come at great cost.

Billions of dollars are spent at local, municipal, state and national levels to correct, control and cure problems that agribusiness creates. Soil quality is deteriorating, decreasing the nutritional value of our food. Water systems are contaminated with chemicals, many of which are difficult, if not impossible, to filter out before public consumption. Bountiful as it is, today’s food appears inexpensive. Its high costs, however, are hidden by government subsidies given large agribusinesses, often excluding small farmers. Use of advertising depicting white picket fenced farms fools the public into believing their food comes from traditional farms, with “happy cows,” leaving them anesthetized and complacent.

Agribusiness is tied to exclusive contracts for genetically altered seeds, herbicides, pesticides, and mammoth sized equipment. Those, whom I call farmers, operate on a scale they can manage with a caring, attentive, intimate liaison with their land, animals and community, which results in nourishment for the consumer, the land and their culture. Thus, the term agriculture.

Agribusiness moves the prosperity of farming from family farms, which continue to disappear, to corporate farm operations that become too expensive to pass on to following generations. Agribusiness deposits wealth into the profits of a few monolithic corporations while abusing the land, beasts and communities, with little care for the future.

The real cost of agribusiness, in their chemical and factory farming, is born in the declining health of the American consumer. Saved only by the advances of modern medicine, the public commonly suffers diseases rarely known to their ancestors, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. All, diseases directly related to food. Today’s agribusiness has enslaved America to oil, upon which its equipment is dependent. In addition, petrochemicals are used as ingredients in, as well as for the production of, herbicides and pesticides, the foundation of agribusiness.

Advertising has created a public that believes that cheap fast food is realistic and healthy. Agribusiness has found it profitable to maintain the distance between consumers and their food, and continue to manipulate the public with complete disregard for their health or wellbeing. Agribusiness ignores the time-honored practice of animal husbandry that honors the gift of food from our beasts. Instead, animals give their lives after enduring inhumane and abusive practices all in the name of profits.

Rather than regulating factory farms, America would be best served slowly diminishing them through heavy taxation to offset the damage they have done to our economy, environment and small farm operators. Then, use a portion of those taxes collected, to subsidize small farm operators who prove that they can farm without harm. Eventually, we will have to pay the price of the folly of factory farming and the greed of the Monsanto’s, Archer Midland Daniel’s, Cargill’s and the like. The longer we wait, the higher the price will be.

“…have a sliding scale based upon risk of contamination and size of operation. Frankly, I would require registration of all who produce and sell food, but charge little, if anything, to farms that sell directly to consumers. Raise enough money to actually fund all of this.” <–good idea

Perhaps the Senate bill approaches the cost question differently?

Welch was able to reduce the registration fee from $1000 to $500, but he wanted a sliding scale fee based on how large the farm is and how much profit they make. so smaller farms would have to pay say $50/year while someone like ConAgra would pay $1000/year.

the bill still ended up passing with the flat annual fee of $500 for all farmers. by a vote of 283 to 142.

Would these changes be across the board? Are there exclusions for the small farmer?