To subsidize actual food

This is so interesting!

So we often subsidize corn, cotton, rice, soybeans and wheat--big cash crops. But this year's bill (which is being debated) will focus on fruits, vegetables and nuts from trees (these are called specialty crops.

quote:

Expanded competition from overseas, as well as a change in the government's nutrition pyramid in 2005, new concerns about nutrition in the federally funded school meals program and the growing organic foods market have all helped to elevate specialty crops in the agriculture funding debate.

quote:

The proposed 2007 farm bill would "target nearly $5 billion in funding to support specialty crop producers by increasing nutrition in food assistance programs, including school meals, through the purchase of fruits and vegetables, funding specialty crop research, fighting trade barriers and expanding export markets," according to the USDA. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are examining the proposal.

For specialty crop growers, the biggest boost could come from $500 million over 10 years that the USDA proposes to spend to put more fruits and vegetables into the national school lunch and breakfast programs. Those direct purchases would most likely expand a school lunch fruit-and-vegetable snack program already active in 16 states.

What do you think about this?

It would be wonderful if this really happens. I've been reading a lot this winter about the lobbying groups and who gets appointed to positions in the FDA etc and how the lobbyists get things changed. I don't think the fruit and vegetable growers have the clout that exists with soy, corn,and beef industry. Marion Nestle's book-What to eat is great.
Before we watched Fast Food Nation ( which is a story about the premise of the book) we first watched what I refer to as the flip side of the DVD. It was best to hear what the director had to say about the book and the film before watching it. It is not a film to watch with children as much of it centers on the illegal workers at the big slaughter houses. Yes, sometimes difficult to watch but I'm glad I did.