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Pro Farm Subsidies Essay

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Farm subsidies have become an somewhat debated topic in recent year, with increasing numbers of critics believing that these are detrimental not only to the economy, but also by implication to the health of Americans. Subsidies are offered by the USDA to farmers of commodity crops such as corn, wheat, rice, and livestock such as cattle. This makes these types of food cheaper than other, potentially healthier choices such as organic products. Farm subsidies were initially implemented after the Great Depression to help farmers cope with the economic effects after the Depression years. In other words, they were to stimulate the economy after the difficult years of the downturn. Although initially intended as a temporary measure, the subsidies remained part of the government assistance program for farmers even today. As a proponent of this system, my viewpoint is that farm subsidies ultimately benefits the United States in terms of protecting domestic product against foreign competition, national security, and American food aid to poorer countries.

Farm subsidies help farmers to keep the prices of their products low and competitive in the international market. This means that national farmers and their products receive sufficient support and revenue to keep them in business. If this were not the case, there is a danger that retailers will begin to find foreign markets from which to important even basic foods such as corn and meat. The danger here is then that many American

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