And it's seems only right that the government be involved because, you see, it's the government that's responsible for much of the problem. This is because under the federal price support program, which applies to many types of crops, the government pays the farmer a guaranteed price for his yield. If, come harvest time, the crops don't bring in that minimum price the government pays the farmer the difference, called a deficiency payment. Naturally, this short-circuits the market. Farmers grow extra crops not because there are waiting mouths out there but because the government is paying a bounty.
Extra crops require extra pesticides and fertilizer.
But it gets worse. But farmers are terrific businessmen, and a heck of a lot smarter than your average bureaucrat. So the farmer goes to extraordinary lengths to get as many crops as he can out of the acreage still in use. This includes pouring on all the more fertilizer and pesticides. U.S. consumption of plant fertilizer is now close to an all-time high, while pesticide use per acre is at its highest point ever.