I heard the EU subsidizes farming!!!

[Aimless]

Is this true???

If it is true, are there any ways to counteract the harmful effects of farming subsidies?? Like, specifically.

'Cause I reckon simply getting rid of them wouldn't be an option anytime soon.

(ps. I realise the US also subsidizes farming, but we must not lose focus)

[Loki]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Agricultural_Policy

[LittleFuzzy]

Is this true???

YES! *but only for the French*

If it is true, are there any ways to counteract the harmful effects of farming subsidies?? Like, specifically.

'Cause I reckon simply getting rid of them wouldn't be an option anytime soon.

Actually, getting rid of them is easy. Just make the Polish eligible for them, and France will stop stonewalling any movement toward abolishing them.

[Aimless]

Actually, getting rid of them is easy. Just make the Polish eligible for them, and France will stop stonewalling any movement toward abolishing them.

See Loki? Why can't you be this helpful? =P





I've been wondering about this because I live in a country where people don't seem to care about farming subsidies but claim to care about the environment, about food-prices, and about the plight of the developing world. And all I'm thinking is, "Wtf??"

I don't know how the EU works so I dunno how one would go about fighting the influence of eg. the farming lobby (apart from threatening to give it all to Poland).

[Loki]

Kick the French out.

[Aimless]

Would some of the world's less wealthy regions benefit from having similar common policies wrt agriculture? Acknowledging that it would still be worse than a system with less farming subsidies etc.

[Loki]

Would some of the world's less wealthy regions benefit from having similar common policies wrt agriculture? Acknowledging that it would still be worse than a system with less farming subsidies etc.

You mean creating an inefficient industry, piling a ridiculous amount of public funds into it, weakening trade links with neighbors, and inflating food prices?

[GGT]

Minx, have you thought about your question as if you lived in Bangladesh and not just Sweden?

[Being]

Without farm subsidies there would be less hungry people in the world (along with less rich farmers being paid to leave their land fallow).