SUMMARY - Subsidies, Monocultures, and Industrial Agriculture
Modern agriculture is remarkably productive—and remarkably dependent on policy support. Subsidies, tax preferences, insurance programs, and trade policies shape what farmers grow, how they grow it, and whether they survive economically. These policies were designed for previous eras and different goals. As food systems face climate change, consolidation, and rural decline, the question of whether agricultural policy serves current needs becomes urgent.