World Perspectives

Pseudo, Pseudo, Pseudo

Pseudo Farm Bill Issues: USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack told us NPR listeners that he thought the new farm bill, which he described as a "food, farm and jobs" bill, should include provisions for organic foods. His reasoning is that the organic sector is the fastest growing part of agriculture and it is a way of creating jobs for young people in the industry. However, it creates more jobs in part because it is less efficient. If this is the strategy, why not follow the Milton Friedman parable and outlaw conventional agriculture altogether? Just an opinion, but if conventional agriculture is certified by the government as a completely safe and efficacious approach, then organic is a government enforced hoodwinking of the consumer that is far wo...

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