End Animal-Agriculture Subsidies

We applaud reforms outlined in Senator Sanders' plans for combating detriment to our ecosystem; however, there is one immensely destructive industry not addressed. Animal-agriculture is a major cause of climate-change pollution, water pollution, drought, water shortage, deforestation, land degradation, species extinction, and contributes to world hunger. We are calling to end animal-agriculture subsidies.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found animal-agriculture responsible for 14.5% - 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions - more than the entire transportation sector. Climate scientists published a report detailing missing data from the FAO's calculations, and pegged the real figure at a whopping 51%.

In the 2000 National Water Quality Inventory conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, agricultural activity was identified as a source of pollution for 48% of stream and river water, and for 41% of lake water. The top source of this pollution is the storage and disposal of animal waste. First, storage tanks often leak, rupture, or overflow. Second, the way the industry disposes of the waste is by spraying it onto farms as fertilizer; however, the farms produce far more waste than is needed for this application, so the (excessive) excess runs off into surrounding water systems. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorous, an effect of fertilizer runoff, is the most common form of water pollution in the United States. In addition, there are toxic substances in the animals’ excretions, such as pharmaceuticals and bacteria, which cause damage to the environment, wildlife, and human health.

The amount of water used to raise animals for human consumption dwarfs the amount used for growing plants for us to consume. A hundred billion gallons of water is being exported from California each year - in the form of alfalfa, to feed livestock. That’s enough to provide for the yearly water usage of a million families. The UN estimates that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water stressed conditions.

Occupying over half of Earth’s arable land; animal-agriculture is behind the majority of deforestation, land degradation, and species extinction. Despite these intensive impacts, it has been estimated that one in eight people still suffer from food scarcity - and it's only getting worse. According to the FAO, "the number of hungry is currently climbing at the rate of some four million a year." Animal-agriculture is in fact a contributor to world hunger. For example they use land in Africa to grow soybeans to feed to cattle in the United States instead of feeding soybeans to starving people in Africa.

Even those still consuming products of animal-agriculture ought to end taxpayer money propping up this destructive industry, as many in the scientific and health communities have warned us of the need to curb consumption.

Also, there are no two ways about it: animal-agriculture is unconscionably cruel to the individuals who are its commodities.

In contrast; fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds build health and prevent and reverse disease affordably with healthy carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Fruit trees and plants actually sequester carbon in the soil where it belongs.

In light of all we know about industrialized animal-agriculture's devastating impacts on the health of the planet and people, as well as its inherently inhumane exploitation of sentient beings, it does not make sense for us to be subsidizing it.

This is a case of the profits of a few taking precedence over the benefit of the many. Bringing an end to all funding, both direct and indirect, of animal-agriculture by the U.S. government would be a huge step with many positive effects, not the least of which is helping to reverse catastrophic environmental deterioration.