krea|typAug 19, 2023
Brendan Jones

And we wonder why plant-based meat substitutes are sometimes more expensive than meat ...

"(from 2014 to 2020) livestock farmers in the EU received 1,200 times more public funding than plant-based meat or cultivated meat groups. In the US, the animal farmers got 800 times more public funding. The amount of public money spent on plant-based alternatives was just $42m (£33m) – 0.1% of the £35bn spent on meat and dairy."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/18/gigantic-power-of-meat-industry-blocking-green-alternatives-study-finds

#vegan #dairy #meat #agriculture #EU #plantbased

‘Gigantic’ power of meat industry blocking green alternatives, study finds

Analysis of EU and US shows livestock farmers receive about 1,000 times more public funding than plant-based and cultivated meat

The Guardian
Aug 19, 2023 at 12:46pmWeb
Show threadBrendan JonesAug 19, 2023

This is an absolutely bonkers stat: "In the EU, cattle farmers got at least 50% of their income from direct subsidies."

How are we supposed to deal with the environmental impact of cattle when they're so propped up by subsidies?

It's the same with fossil fuels: get rid of these peverse subsidies and the market will do much of the work of reducing these destructive industries for us.

Show threadSophie BretagnolleAug 19, 2023
@Brendanjones I'm sceptical about the market doing its job coz I fear that the first one to be affected would be the small cattlers, that are already not doing well (at least in France). I tend to be very cautious with this topic.
Also, in Europe, the subsidies are historically here to give stability to farmers so that their income wouldn't be affected by bad weather for ex and I think it's a good thing. The problem is more that it is used by big compagnies to buy farm product at too low price.
Show threadBrendan JonesAug 19, 2023
@sbretagnolle True, plenty of farming subsidies are as you describe. I think we can be imaginative to not screw farmers over. To throw ideas out there: Tell them the subsidy will disappear in 5 years if they continue cattle farming, but offer grants to help them switch to less intensive/regenerative farming. If the land isn’t suitable for anything but cattle, offer buybacks so the land can be rewilded and the farmer isn’t left destitute.
Show threadBrendan JonesAug 19, 2023

@sbretagnolle Could also tie it to the type of ownership. Keep subsidies in place (at first) for smaller farms and instead target industrial farms.

Oh, and with “the market doing its job” I was simply referring to its ability to redirect capital quickly, and reduce cattle farming in aggregate. As you say, it probably wouldn’t do it fairly, so we need to think about how to guide that process.

Show threadkurtusAug 21, 2023
@Brendanjones Kraft des Marktes: der Markt regelt keineswegs die Gesundheitsaspekte der Bevölkerung. Das muß der Gesetzgeber tun.
Show threadGegenscheinAug 19, 2023
@Brendanjones In D sind es 13 Mrd € jährlich
Show threadGrinksluenAug 21, 2023
@Brendanjones If you asked Julia Klöckner (Former Minister of Nestle) there is no such thing as aggrar subsidies.
Show threadkurtusAug 21, 2023
@Brendanjones Die Fleischindustrie sichert ihre Profite ab. Mit Unterstützung der Politik u gg. die Gesundheitsinteressen der Bevölkerung. Notfalls wird mit Gefälligkeitsgutachten nachgeholfen.