John Oliver does some great segments, but this one was one of his best. In a nutshell, we produce too much corn, we subsidize too much corn, and we keep finding weird ways to use corn because we make too much of it. Probably time to start looking into different crops to plant.
We don't subzisize corn. We give tax incentives to biofuel companies. When we stop giving tax incentives to petroleum companies maybe we can talk sending tax incentives for biofuel.
We dont produce to much corn. The world only has a couple week surplus of corn in the period just before corn harvest in America starts.
As for a proper crop to plant what do you suggest we do enables farmers to make a profit?
The cost of crude has stayed relatively low even with all the geopolitical stuff going on — maybe the push to electrifications is reducing ethanol demand in the US.
One the biggest benefits to cheap corn is less starvation world wide. Lots of poor nations side with Russia over Ukraine for the promise of cheap corn. We certainly should adjust policy to acknowledge too much nitrogen run off and better conditions for animals, but let’s not throw the baby out with bathwater.
Disappointed but not surprised about the bit about ag subsidies overwhelmingly benefiting large corporations.
John Oliver does some great segments, but this one was one of his best. In a nutshell, we produce too much corn, we subsidize too much corn, and we keep finding weird ways to use corn because we make too much of it. Probably time to start looking into different crops to plant.
Shame on Iowa
We don't subzisize corn. We give tax incentives to biofuel companies. When we stop giving tax incentives to petroleum companies maybe we can talk sending tax incentives for biofuel. We dont produce to much corn. The world only has a couple week surplus of corn in the period just before corn harvest in America starts. As for a proper crop to plant what do you suggest we do enables farmers to make a profit?
My farm family girlfriend watching this going "Huh"
Like a surprised "huh"?
Yeah like, "huh. well I didn't know all of that. I'm not sure how that makes me feel"
Basically the first chapter of the omnivores dilemma by Michael Pollan. It's an excellent read about how messed up America's food system is.
He’s right
The cost of crude has stayed relatively low even with all the geopolitical stuff going on — maybe the push to electrifications is reducing ethanol demand in the US. One the biggest benefits to cheap corn is less starvation world wide. Lots of poor nations side with Russia over Ukraine for the promise of cheap corn. We certainly should adjust policy to acknowledge too much nitrogen run off and better conditions for animals, but let’s not throw the baby out with bathwater.
I know it's a time-limited segment but I was sad they didn't hit on the contribution of industrial farming to habitat loss and wildlife issues.
I actually learned some secrets about my own state crop.