Why should this be coupled by any thing? I think the money is as rigged in most countries, while the nutrition crisis is mostly a problem in English spoken countries.
Discussion
If food gets expensive the cattle will revolt, so demonize expensive food
Why should food, one of the main sources of life, be worthless? I really do not get this.
Good point. I'll try to illustrate the problem as it's displayed in America. Corn and soy is subsidized, so farmers are incentivized to grow them to feed to animals that don't actually eat them vs just grazing cows and sheep. The subsidies are only possible because of the money printer. Add to that the financialization of real estate. Add to that a healthcare system which prioritizes $ over health.
There shouldn't even be an egg industry, 50% of the country should be raising their own chickens. The other 50% should be buying directly from a farm within 50 miles. Same goes for milk, but that is a bit harder in the states because we fucked up suburbia so it's not really possible to have milk sheep and goats roaming a neighborhood or a common space for a couple cows to supply a whole neighborhood, so I'll compromise and say pretty much every single person should have a garden. Aspartment dwellers can grow their own herbs, home owners can do a couple raises beds and coordinate with their neighbors to barter. This is harder bc everyone is poor and needs a second job or has to take time to reevaluate their portfolio for retirement. Gardening is a huge part of the human experience and all people should have their hands in the soil regularly, it's a grounding and relaxing experience.
Thanks a lot for painting this story.
For me this is a too romantic view on ideals of the past. When someone likes gardening I wish them fun to do so at the scale they like to do it.
But I also see real advantages in the economy where people can professionalise in other segments. I really think, that the complexity of our society makes it harder to understand the sense behind it sometimes. But it also lavereges our common wealth a lot.
And I would say it is really objectively more efficient when there is a farmer that buys expensive machines and works on farming the whole week to produce food formany people instead of everyone gardening their food.
It allows higher quality at lower prices in the end.
I think what the USA is not so strong in is regulation. And this can be good in some parts of the economy. But in other parts we have to accept, that the natural incentives are not support a sustainable society.
From our genetics we are programmed to eat sugar intensive, because most parts of earth history starving to death was one of the biggest threats to life. Now suddenly it is no problem at all for many people in this world.
This is a great message. The new problem is overeating. But this needs discipline and a society that supports us.
Addictions are problematic in most cases, when they gain control over our decision process. So it is a similar problem with sugars, as it is with smoking, alcohol and cocain. We need to use our brain and let it take part in our decision making.
And as a society we can decide to prohibit products or prohibit commercials about some products, because their addiction is problematic on an individual and a society level.
Few things to address.
Industrialized farming has lead to lower quality, so that point is objectively false.
Farming doesn't require big expensive machines. I run a farm and the biggest equipment I have is a pickup and a Polaris.
Saying people should specialize doesn't negate my points. Today, women are forced to work, used to be able to own a house, have kids, and a car all on a mans salary and its thanks to the money printer. If only 1 person has to work, the other and kids could manage tending a garden for 20 minutes a day, it's not a big deal, but go look at war propaganda from WWII, a little goes a long way and also adds community to your neighborhood.
Regulation and prohibition aren't the answer, govt created this problem, they will not be the ones to fix it. They need to end all agricultural subsidies. Period. Fuck the state.
I general take issue with your initial point that this view I have is too romantic. Go research permaculture, we can live better lives more in tune with nature AND have an advanced society. Having an herb garden or one raised bed or raising chickens or rabbits or even a little pig doesn't take long and gives you control over the quality and sovereignty, gardening like this is basically printing your own money.