Comments on: Stop Feeding Americans Subsidies http://sustainingus.com/2007/11/05/stop-feeding-americans-subsidies/ A Yuppie's Perspective on Sustainable Living Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:52:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: gary http://sustainingus.com/2007/11/05/stop-feeding-americans-subsidies/#comment-52 gary Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:19:16 +0000 http://sustainingus.com/2007/11/05/stop-feeding-americans-subsidies/#comment-52 Interesting argument . . . I quick comment/question. You say that corn is "America's staple crop, and demand has only become more profitable to grow with ethanol’s popularity." A considerable percentage of corn produced in middle America is feed corn, not used in the production of corn syrup or for ethanol but rather for use in feeding cows and other farm animals. As cows are responsible for a significant amount of the greenhouse gases eating away at the ozone layer, and the reduction in the production of cattle for beef would benefit the environment, wouldn't a reduction of the number of cattle cause a surplus in corn production in America, triggering prices to fall drastically and putting farmers at risk of losing their farms to the megafarms (notorious for homogenizing the crops and seeds produced in America and reducing the variety and benefits of the produce grown)? So is it possible that farm subsibies may be a valuable tool in the future in the fight against greenhouse gases? Interesting argument . . . I quick comment/question.

You say that corn is “America’s staple crop, and demand has only become more profitable to grow with ethanol’s popularity.”

A considerable percentage of corn produced in middle America is feed corn, not used in the production of corn syrup or for ethanol but rather for use in feeding cows and other farm animals.

As cows are responsible for a significant amount of the greenhouse gases eating away at the ozone layer, and the reduction in the production of cattle for beef would benefit the environment, wouldn’t a reduction of the number of cattle cause a surplus in corn production in America, triggering prices to fall drastically and putting farmers at risk of losing their farms to the megafarms (notorious for homogenizing the crops and seeds produced in America and reducing the variety and benefits of the produce grown)?

So is it possible that farm subsibies may be a valuable tool in the future in the fight against greenhouse gases?

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