The World Battle:

By Ed Fashing, VP-Communications, AAM Inc.

We have a battle for the control of agriculture from various forces:

1. Greedy multinational corporations and cartels;
2. World socialistic politicians-more powerful than many governments;
3. Panthesist environmentalists worshipping and serving Mother Earth;
4. Environmental terrorists who burned 100 Hummers in California, a $12 million Ski Resort in Vail, a $50 million housing complex in California, and spiked trees in the Northwest to injure lumbermen. Since 1996 hundreds of violent acts have been committed so far with no deaths. They defend the Endangered Species Act (ESA);
5. Large corporate farmers, factory farms, and cartels controlling agribusiness, who receive commodities from farmers and ranchers without fair contracts, rules or income;
6. Large stores who undermine community businesses and profit prices due to their size;
7. A narrow focused media misrepresenting and editing the supposed reality reported as news according to their media owner’s philosophy. The media rarely print articles and letters that their big advertisers detest.
8. Western Countries control the World Trade Organization (WTO-GATT) and oppress undeveloped countries through tariffs, rules and subsidies. The World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are their agents destroying sovereignty and privatizing small countries natural resources;
9. Predatory farmers and rural citizens waiting to profit from neighbors demise. They do not realize every dollar spent in the rural community is now multiplied 2.1 to 2.3 times to help the rural economy. Thirty years ago this multiplier effect was 7 to 10;

All the above seek to produce an assemble-line dull-eyed consumer bent on thinking and acting as they are told. Third world farmers are destined to produce flowers and small crops not easily harvested by machines. Multinational corporations control major commodities.

The above are misguided by philosophies supposedly promulgated by:

1. Adam Smith credited with founding capitalism: he did not believe in predatory capitalism but in charitable donations to the poor and business fairness.
2. Rachel Carson did not favor the present extremist environmentalism; today many environmentalists fear is the truth about environmental air, land and water purity improvement in the last 40 years is publicized that “people will get complacent on us.” Some “econuts” use environmental issues to stop hated capitalism and punish developed (North) countries. Not all scientists believe global warming is caused mainly by greenhouse gases. Many scientists, as demonstrated by the present extreme solar flairs, believe variations in the solar cycle are the main cause of global warming.
3. Multinational Corporations have the rights of individuals but few of the duties; they often pay low taxes. Recently these corporations and stores have often moved off-shore with their offices, factories, and jobs. These multinationals form cartels and function as monopolies, oligopolies, monopsonies and oligopsonies, which constrict buying prices and selling prices that squeeze ranchers and farmers in the middle.
4. Establishment of commodity contracts was meant to be a device so the producer-merchant-consumer all got fair profit or the ability to purchase food at a reasonable price. Now at places like the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), gambling and manipulation of contracts are the modes of action.
5. Government is twisted so the influence of multinational corporations is totally self-serving. Congress has been bought by corporate donations and the “revolving door” has placed a select few in positions to control the U.S. State Department, U.S. Trade Representative, Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture, judges, and U.S. Department of Justice in critical positions to do the will of the elite and not the voter, consumer, or family farmer/rancher. Enforcement of rules or laws is often given to effete or corrupt officials.

Parity was established in the 1910’s as a mode of judging the fairness of commodity prices for producers. Parity established the average prices of commodities from 1910-1914 when all U.S. economic sectors were considered balanced. When projections of commodity prices, adjusted for inflation, today are calculated, present commodities bring an average of about 35% of 100% Parity. Cattle are bringing the same price as in the 1950’s. Soybeans are bringing a higher price but due to the drought yields are low and profit is almost non-existent.

When country of origin labeling (COOL) is passed several time by Congress it is deleted by the conference committee of bought Congresspersons. The USDA has claimed that the implementation of COOL will cost billions. A report from the University of Florida claims the cost will be one thousandth of a dollar– one mil not million.

When most technological advances were made in farming and ranching, there was an overcorrection so small and medium family farmers and ranchers came away with proportionately less profit and overall income.

The forecast is: farm households in 2003 will average $3,968 from farming; 93.8% of farm income is earned off the farm to put food on the table and secure health coverage. Smaller farmers produce the majority of produce (72%). Large farms receive most of U.S. subsidies. USDA works for big agribusiness and against most farmers. (1.) Mitchell, L (October 2003) USDA income projections maliciously misleading, timing of government announcement undermines U.S. farmers at global trade talks Corn Grower Report, Vol. 10, No. 10 p.2 www/acga/org.

Politics and economics must be tempered with a paradigm including love, justice, developing community, and honest business. The desires and interests of the majority of producers are rejected due to the influence of a minority seeking profit at any cost to the producer. Most processing costs are passed on to the producer while the processor usually makes 20+% quarterly profit.

Family farmers are abandoned by uncaring big government, anarchists, multinational corporations, extremist environmentalists, global socialists, an out of control extremist media, greedy commodity contract traders gambling with family producers futures, the International Monetary Fund & World Bank forcing privatization of local natural resources, pseudo farm organizations misrepresenting farmers, and policies of many church pastors who saddle-up to the wealthy, elite, and multinational corporations.