Help Poor Farmers in U.S. and Global South

by Isaac Evans-Frantz

The US spent on the average of 12 billion dollars annually between 2002 and 2005 on farm subsidies-, giving away huge sums of money – sometimes a million dollars to one individual – to corporate farms. Altogether, This has encouraged big agro business to produce beyond what the market demands, flooding the domestic and international markets with corn, cotton and other crops, and undercutting small farmers in the U.S. and in impoverished countries. The Farm Bill, passed every 5 years, is currently in the Senate, and that bill will decide the fate of farmers around the world.

Agricultural subsidies, rather than help alleviate hunger and poverty, actually make them worse. Poor farmers in third world countries can’t compete with the low priced subsidized goods exported from the rich countries, and are driven off the land. Even in the US the subsidies are often counterproductive. According to Oxfam America, “Almost two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. At the same time, the five most subsidized crops usually emerge as either highly refined sweeteners (in the case of corn) or as processed carbohydrates (in the case of wheat and rice).” (Pamphlet, April, 2007)

Oxfam America is encouraging people to ask their US senators to vote in support of farm bill reform that reduces trade-distorting subsidies for commodities such a cotton. Money saved from giving subsidies to rich agricultural corporations can be used for underfunded nutrition programs like free school lunches and food stamps and underfunded conservation programs which also impact communities’ health. U.S. Senators can be reached at the Capitol switchboard: 1-800-977-1912. Please contact your senators today and urge them to SUPPORT FARM BILL REFORM THAT REDUCES TRADE-DISTORTING SUBSIDIES. For more information, visit www.oxfamamerica.org/farmbill. _ Isaac Evans-Frantz lives in New York City where teaches languages and works as a free-lance Spanish interpreter. He became interested in international health politics when, as a child, he attended an Oxfam hunger banquet and got a taste of how unfair hunger is.