Opposes organic
To the editor:
I agree with much of what David Kruse says about organic agriculture in “Organic Illusions” (March 12). If organic farming were mandated on a sizable amount of acres not only would food become more expensive, the erosion could be a disaster rivaling the Dust Bowl.
I also agree with John Mackey (Whole Foods’ CEO) when he states, “organic is a very viable market category…” because it has proven to be so on a small scale. I just read in Forbes there is a hotel room in New York that goes for $35,000 per night. Some fool will pay that much, but, so what? Like David Kruse, I choose conventional food.
I especially liked Mr. Kruse saying, “USDA’s promotion of a niche production system is a politically correct wasted allocation of resources.” Actually any promotion of any business by USDA should be labeled a politically correct wasted allocation of resources. A government agency has no business choosing winners and losers in the market place. It has little chance of getting it right because its motives are political rather than based on self interest represented by a free market.
The present financial mess is proof such government intervention doesn’t work. Every malinvestment that led to the crisis can be traced to poor decisions based on government mandates and subsidies. Granted, many of those misguided policies were promoted by the businesses themselves, but constitutional restraint was ignored in their application by the government.
Government is to blame. Businesses can’t force us to do anything, government can.
Now we are at the point we need to decide what to do about all the over capacity that is dragging down our economy. The biofuels industry is a perfect example of an industry built on a lie.
Petroleum is the cheaper alternative. More oil is still being found around the world: Off the coast of Brazil and in the Dakotas are two examples. Energy independence as a national security issue is bogus because the interdependence of nations is the ultimate incentive for peace.
The lie that government has to direct the market has produced over-priced land and useless biofuel factories. Land has been priced out of the reach of beginning farmers and investors in biofuel plants are begging for bailouts and mandates.
Lobbyists and their tools in Congress should have to pay for the damage they’ve done, whether it’s in the housing market or biofuels; but we won’t get blood out of a turnip.
Subsidized home loans and biofuels incentives are not ours by choice. They are illegal constitutionally. The CEO of Whole Foods offers a product that we are free to buy or reject. That may change, though. Our legal system is now based on precedent, not original intent, so anything goes.
Organic agriculture is not being rammed down our throats yet. But thanks to other well-intentioned mandates the door is wide open.