Taxpayers Fund Meat Exports

A recent article in Mother Jones reveals that millions of taxpayer dollars are funding an organization that has the express purpose of increasing American exports of factory-farmed meat. According to Mother Jones, the US Meat Export Federation—which represents the nation’s dominant factory farms, like Smithfield Foods, Tyson, and Cargill—will be receiving $19.7 million from the federal government in the fiscal year 2012, under a US Department of Agriculture initiative called the Market Access Program. While the program aims to generate revenue from overseas markets, it also endangers the businesses of small farmers, increases the prevalence of health conditions associated with the Standard American Diet, and contributes to industry dominance for the mega-corporations who are benefiting from the program.