If you want to understand why it’s so difficult to change meat consumption patterns, try the Environmental Working Group’s latest analysis: USDA has spent nearly $50 billion on livestock subsidies since 1995.
From 1995 to 2021, USDA spent
- $11 billion on livestock disaster assistance
- $14.2 billion on livestock commodity purchases
- ~$5 billion in dairy subsidies
- $15 billion in payments to offset the effects of the pandemic
In addition, USDA paid $160 billion during those years to producers of the corn and soybeans used to feed those animals.
In contrast, USDA spent less than $30 million to promote plant-based proteins since 2018.
The numbers say it all.
Policy change, anyone?
The post USDA subsidies for animal agriculture appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle.