Write a paragraph response to the debate. First, before reading the debate, note if you are for or against the statement. Then note if your position changed or remained the same after you read the debate (after reading the debate, do you agree more with the pro or con position?) Give any insights on the debate or debate topic.

Topic: Do Subsidies on corn create more problems than they solve?

Elizabeth:

CON – No, subsidies on corn do not create more problems than they solve.

Hailed as one of the world’s most versatile crops, corn has been around for thousands of years. It is the most widely produced crop in the United States, and about a billion tons are produced globally each year. Over 90 million acres of land in the United States is dedicated to farming corn (American Farm Bureau). It is nutritious, affordable, and adaptable in many diverse growing conditions and climates. Corn is more than just a major food staple for many of our cultures. We use corn to feed our livestock, fuel our cars, and even make our plastic. It is used in so many of our everyday products, that one-quarter of all items found in a grocery store today, now contain corn in some form (Fowler).

Our government was quick to realize corn’s added value to our economy, and its versatility once produced and offered programs and incentives to American farmer’s if they would grow corn exclusively. Since farming is about supply and demand, it made sense to the farmer to grow corn, because it could be stored, and sold later, if the price of corn fell below market value. Unlike, say a tomato, which is harder to grow, and spoils quickly, once picked from the vine. These New Deal farm programs helped the farmer financially, when times were lean, or if their crops were destroyed by nature. The government would loan farmers the difference in the price of corn, or the current market value, if the farmer wanted to wait for a better price, and store the corn, instead of selling.

In the 1970s, all that changed. The price of food was so high, that farmers were killing their baby chickens because they could not afford to feed them (Pollan 51). People were hungry and could not afford to pay the high cost of food. The government decided to change its policy and instead of loaning farmers the difference, they would pay farmers directly for their corn crops. Because of this change, farmers were able to sell their corn at any price above what the government was willing to pay (Pollan 54). These subsidies are what ensured the farmer they wouldn’t go bust, while protecting us, the consumer, from a severe food shortage.

Today, half of all farmer’s net income in the United States comes from government subsidies. Farmer’s depend on subsidies to pay creditors, employees and produce more crop. Subsidies are now our future insurance. Dale Moore, executive director at the American Farm Bureau Federation states “They’re a safety net and a risk management tool whose purpose is to ensure a stable and affordable food supply, given that farmers have no control over the price of their crops or the weather.” These subsidies allow farmers to develop new technologies, as the global demand for fuel, food, and feed, based on corn, continue to escalate. According to Dr. Edgerton, of PubMed magazine, in order to “satisfy the growing, worldwide demand for corn (an additional 200 million tons a year), two broad options are available: (1) The area under production can be increased or (2) productivity can be improved on existing farmland.”

By continuing to develop new farming technologies and using them on a global basis, the demand for feed, fuel, and food can be met, without the commitment of large land areas for increased corn production. Globally, we all rely on corn. Clearly, we need to produce more crops, to meet the increasing demand. Farmer’s need subsidies to forward their farming techniques and technology, and in turn, improve productivity. Farmer’s need financial insurance through subsidies, for their business, community, and most importantly, their family’s security. Without corn subsidies, we would have fewer farmers and fewer crops. America would not be able to meet the increasing global demand for fuel, feed, and food, all of which are based, from corn.

Work Cited:

Pollan, Michael. Omnivores Dilemma. The Penguin Press. 2006

Foley, Johnathan. Scientific American. “It’s Time to Rethink America’s Corn System”. 2013 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/time-to…

Fowler, Janet. The Farm Progress. “13 Ways Corn Is Used In Our Everyday Lives.” 2012. https://www.farmprogress.com/vegetables/13-ways-co… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

American Farm Bureau Federation. “Corn Harvest Charging Ahead”. 2018. https://www.fb.org/market-intel/corn-harvest-charg… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Edgerton, Michael. American Association of Plant Philosophy. “Increasing Crop Productivity to Meet Global Needs for Feed, Food, and Fuel”. 2017 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC26136…