Over two-fifths of our land is dedicated to food and fiber production. America's agricultural bounty has hidden costs. Multinational agribusiness exercises great control over farm production practices, communities, and markets. Agricultural chemicals and practices can have far-reaching effects. They influence food quality, drinking-water quality, air quality, and the soil on which we live and grow food.
Agricultural programs consume billions of tax dollars each year.
Much of this expenditure is toward dubious ends. A substantial share goes to help large farms increase in size at the expense of opportunities for small and beginning farmers. The rules by which subsidies are distributed encourage greater use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The massive displacement of rural Americans to cities affects us all. Since 1910, rural Americans have been moving to the cities for jobs.