Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian

There's been this sort of popular myth that's kind of urban legend that's spread through the media that somehow there's subsidies to commodities that's making the prices cheaper. And I just want to really say clearly that's totally false, that all U.S. policy for commodities keeps the prices high. The reason, you know, what farmer in the US wants their prices low, right?

They all want their prices high. And so sugar is a great example. People say, well, their subsidies, you know, and first, most of the subsidies have turned to crop insurance. Crop insurance gives farmers insurance so that they have a really bad season because of drought or something. They don't go under.

They all want their prices high. And so sugar is a great example. People say, well, their subsidies, you know, and first, most of the subsidies have turned to crop insurance. Crop insurance gives farmers insurance so that they have a really bad season because of drought or something. They don't go under.

They all want their prices high. And so sugar is a great example. People say, well, their subsidies, you know, and first, most of the subsidies have turned to crop insurance. Crop insurance gives farmers insurance so that they have a really bad season because of drought or something. They don't go under.

And so most subsidies now are actually crop insurance for those commodities, not direct cash subsidies. That's still a form of a subsidy, but it's not direct. But corn is a great example. We actually keep the price of sugar high in this country because natural Brazilian sugar is much cheaper than corn syrup. Much, much cheaper. Sugar from Brazilian farms than U.S. corn farmers.

And so most subsidies now are actually crop insurance for those commodities, not direct cash subsidies. That's still a form of a subsidy, but it's not direct. But corn is a great example. We actually keep the price of sugar high in this country because natural Brazilian sugar is much cheaper than corn syrup. Much, much cheaper. Sugar from Brazilian farms than U.S. corn farmers.

And so most subsidies now are actually crop insurance for those commodities, not direct cash subsidies. That's still a form of a subsidy, but it's not direct. But corn is a great example. We actually keep the price of sugar high in this country because natural Brazilian sugar is much cheaper than corn syrup. Much, much cheaper. Sugar from Brazilian farms than U.S. corn farmers.

Well, they make it cheaper than natural sugar by putting tariffs on the Brazilian cane sugar to protect corn farmers. Right, right. So if we took away all the price supports, which actually keep the price high, corn farmers would go out of business, but the market would be flooded with cheap sugar from other countries. So that's just one example of this kind of conventional notion somehow.

Well, they make it cheaper than natural sugar by putting tariffs on the Brazilian cane sugar to protect corn farmers. Right, right. So if we took away all the price supports, which actually keep the price high, corn farmers would go out of business, but the market would be flooded with cheap sugar from other countries. So that's just one example of this kind of conventional notion somehow.

Well, they make it cheaper than natural sugar by putting tariffs on the Brazilian cane sugar to protect corn farmers. Right, right. So if we took away all the price supports, which actually keep the price high, corn farmers would go out of business, but the market would be flooded with cheap sugar from other countries. So that's just one example of this kind of conventional notion somehow.

I don't know, Michael Pollan, someone wrote about this and it's just entered the...

I don't know, Michael Pollan, someone wrote about this and it's just entered the...

I don't know, Michael Pollan, someone wrote about this and it's just entered the...

The great majority of commodity crops in our country aren't eaten by humans. So the great majority of commodity crops in our country go to livestock. or go to energy.

The great majority of commodity crops in our country aren't eaten by humans. So the great majority of commodity crops in our country go to livestock. or go to energy.

The great majority of commodity crops in our country aren't eaten by humans. So the great majority of commodity crops in our country go to livestock. or go to energy.

I would have to go and look at that history. I don't know that history. I know about Earl Butts and his kind of green revolution, but the farm bill and kind of the subsidy approach has been oversimplified. There's actually a lot of things in the newer farm bills to promote specialty crops that are called specialty crops like fruits and vegetables to start to promote them.

I would have to go and look at that history. I don't know that history. I know about Earl Butts and his kind of green revolution, but the farm bill and kind of the subsidy approach has been oversimplified. There's actually a lot of things in the newer farm bills to promote specialty crops that are called specialty crops like fruits and vegetables to start to promote them.

I would have to go and look at that history. I don't know that history. I know about Earl Butts and his kind of green revolution, but the farm bill and kind of the subsidy approach has been oversimplified. There's actually a lot of things in the newer farm bills to promote specialty crops that are called specialty crops like fruits and vegetables to start to promote them.

A better approach would be to go to the retail level, right? A better approach would be to go directly to the consumer. And I think we should do that because right now the price we pay for foods doesn't reflect the true societal cost of the food and healthcare and lost productivity and suffering. All the externalities.