The New York Times has an interesting Op-ed on the impact of subsidies on farmers who grow fruits and vegetables. The FDA puts out guidelines that tell us to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, but the Dept. of Agriculture actively aims to limit the amount of fruit and vegetables grown across the country.
As a person who buys a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables I find this outrageous. Given that most farms are large agri-businesses it’s not hard to see where the opposition is coming from. The Farm Bill is another example of how screwed up government programs can be and how a powerful lobby can work against our real interests as a country. And this is just one example. The Farm Bill is one very screwed up piece of legislation.