TIME FOR THE COMMONWEALTH TO LEAD AGAIN
by Dan Burgess
Since President Obama signed the stimulus package known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), his Administration has properly stressed that funding for projects that are “shovel-ready” must be the first to receive resources. Investing federal dollars into these projects allows the most money to be pumped into the economy the quickest. These investment funds have just begun to be allocated and distributed, and there are already leading indicators that suggest the ARRA has begun to have a positive impact on the economy.
A shovel-ready project exists right here in Massachusetts, however, that has not received enough attention or funds from our government: establishing a regional food system. Arguably, there is not a more shovel-ready investment in the state that would provide comparable dividends.
Massachusetts is generally not thought to be a state where farming (beyond fishing) is prominent. This is in part due to our climate and our land use, but it is also due to the federal government’s proclivity for subsidizing big agribusiness in the Midwest. Massachusetts received $72 million in subsidies between 1995-2006 and ranks 44th in states receiving these price controlling funds.
These subsidies have helped to control the price of certain commodities and in turn have made food more attainable for lower-income families. Conversely, agricultural subsidies have also contributed to a virtual monopoly for big agri-business. Among subsidy recipients, those receiving federal money are too few. Nineteen congressional districts (of 435) accounted for half of federal crop subsidies paid between 2003 and 2005, with 10% collecting 74% of the federal funds. It’s safe to say that the companies in these 19 districts are not based in Massachusetts.
Our current subsidy structure has its roots in the Nixon Administration’s attempts to control food prices during the inflation crisis of the 1970’s. President Nixon successfully encouraged larger farms to increase production and managed to decrease the price of food by eliminating New Deal loans and replacing them with direct payments to farmers.
While Nixon’s policies are often considered to have been economically successful, they've been lethal to America’s small farmers. Between 1990 and 2007, the number of farms decreased by 70,000 in the United States, and there are currently only 7,691 working farms in Massachusetts. These, and other, agricultural policies are no longer useful. Massachusetts should lead, as it has done many times before, the country toward a more sustainable food system.
Massachusetts has proudly earned the reputation of being one of the most progressive states in the country. The Commonwealth is the first to adopt a Universal Health Care plan, was the first to legalize same-sex marriage, and Boston has become a unparalleled hub for biotech companies and entrepreneurs. It is with this progressive history and entrepreneurial spirit that Massachusetts should lead in developing the country’s first regional food chain.
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