Page 76 - Spring2020
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All Thumbs Book Reviews





                              the spectrum—pro-big-business on the right  ticulars. It’s well-written, very well-documented
                              and pro-socialism on the left—are inherently  and heavy on statistics. I will say that some of
                              devoted to cronyism. A system truly designed  it makes for dry reading, and the price tag is a
                              to benefit the poor and the average consumer  bit steep.
                              would be one in which government does not    One other disappointment is that the au-
                              pick the winners and losers.             thors are regrettably conventional in terms of
                                 As Arthur C. Brooks says in the introduc-  their opinions on GMOs, herbicides, synthetic
                              tion to APD, “[The] deepest flaw in agricul-  fertilizers and so on. They adhere to the com-
                              tural policy today is not merely that it creates  mon belief that organic or regenerative methods
                              economic inefficiencies, whether involving the  require much more land to produce the same
                              country’s resource base, market mechanisms,  amount of food, that switching to regenerative
                              long-run productivity growth, or U.S. inter-  farming would thus require pasture and forest to
                              national trade relations; it is that the cronyism  be converted into fields for broadacre crops and
                              still present in our system reduces our ability to  that the environmental costs of row cropping
                              direct resources and opportunities to those who  are higher than for pastures or forests. Unfortu-
                              need them the most.”                     nately, there aren’t enough hard data—yet—to
                                 Some will argue that we’ve had the wrong  parry this line of argumentation effectively.
                              people making policies; if we just elected the   Studies by the Rodale Institute demonstrate
                              right lawmakers and executives, they would give  equal yields on a field-trial scale. There are also
                              us an agricultural policy that makes sense. The  good results from individual farms—some of
                              problem is that no person or group is ever going  which are even demonstrating carbon-negative
                              to be wise enough, unselfish enough or knowl-  row cropping, particularly when incorporat-
                              edgeable enough to properly guide something as  ing livestock—but we still need collection and
                              complex as a national (or even state or county)  communication of large-scale data. Part of the
                              economy. Everyone has interests.         problem is that we’re in the middle of develop-
                                 Government does have a role to play. It  ing regenerative techniques; we’re still in the
                              exists to make and enforce laws that establish  innovator and early-adopter phases. The prudent
                              a framework for free trade, such as preventing  take-away is that advocates of regenerative agri-
               A system       fraud, outlawing child labor, prohibiting unjust  culture need to devote more energy toward do-

                     truly    discrimination and providing a court system  ing this research and communicating its results.
            designed to       where contract disputes can be adjudicated. It   The authors’ failure to embrace organic
                              is the referee that ensures that individuals and  farming in no way negates the overall truths
             benefit the      corporations abide by these minimal laws—but  they illuminate about the problems with modern
               poor and       the referee should not be a player in the game.  American agricultural policy. So cry “Foul!”
                                 There’s much more to say (and to argue!)  Laugh at the insanity of the current system. And
            the average       about these issues. Again, though, we should  patiently work with your elected representatives
              consumer        all be able to agree on most of what APD dis-  to try to reduce the power of special interests in
               would be       cusses. There’s a lot that we have in common.  agriculture.          Review by Paul Meyer
          one in which        It’s impossible to ignore our preferred solutions   NEW REVIEWER - PAUL MEYER
                              completely, but we can all get behind the effort
            government        to at least try to curb the crony capitalism inher-  The excellent review of Fibershed in Winter
         does not pick        ent in our current agricultural policies.   2019 and this one were by Paul Meyer, a home-
                                                                        steader, aspiring farmer and almost-retired
                                 The American Enterprise Institute pub-
            the winners       lished APD before the latest farm bill was   Army officer. He is also a contributing editor
                                                                        to Acres U.S.A. magazine and a freelance copy
             and losers.      signed, but all that has changed are a few par-  editor (meyereditorial.com).
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