The American agricultural industry as a whole is in big trouble. Mistakes made by a previous administration are still being felt, and are compounding with mistakes made by the current administration to hurt America’s farmers even more.

  • SeanBrently@lemm.eeOP
    1·
    14 hours ago

    You might think that was so long ago it’s not relevant to the current situation.

    https://www.farmaid.org/issues/family-farm-movement/farm-aid-nearly-40-years-of-action-for-family-farmers/

    Farm Aid: 40 Years of Action for Family Farmers and the Good Food Movement In the 1980s, family farmers faced a crisis the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the Great Depression. Plummeting farm product prices and land values, rising interest rates, troubled credit markets and unfair lending practices pushed tens of thousands of farms out of business, forcing millions of people off their land.

    It was in this context that Willie Nelson, joined by John Mellencamp and Neil Young, organized a groundbreaking concert in 1985 to raise awareness and funds to help America’s family farmers, sparking a family farm movement that continues to this day.

    That continues to this day. That’s because the American agricultural industry never completely recovered from Reagan’s supply-side economics. Did the “free market” eventually adjust to create the most efficient and best system for American agriculture?

    No. The most expensive farm subsidies ever and Willie Nelson’s charity concerts combined did not get things back to pre Reagan levels.

    History rhymes: farmers voted for Reagan, farmers voted for Trump. It’s happening again, but this time it will be worse.