2007-11-12 04:13:00 · 3 answers · asked by UTell-Me 4 in Social Science ➔ Economics
Why is that we pay more money for unhealthy foods than fresh farm grown foods? Farmers are such hard workers, they probably don't have time to even see this website. Noticed many farm lands are for sale lately. They work too hard and don't get back enough in return.
2007-11-12 04:16:44 · update #1
While many farmers that run family farms do not have a large income per se, they have a large amount of capital and assets. If they so choose, they could sell everything and make a pretty good chunk of change. I've seen many farmers make a lot of many by selling farm land that was then developed for residential or commercial property.
As far as paying more for unhealthy food than fresh farm grown foods, that is all because Americans have a higher demand for unhealthy foods. I've lived in Europe and this is completely opposite there. The healthier, fresh food is cheaper than unhealthy food. In Europe you are basically paying for the convenience of the quick, unhealthy food.
2007-11-12 05:35:21 · answer #1 · answered by Jim 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one "deserves" more income. It is a supply and demand question. If they are not getting paid enough, they need to quit, sell the land for residential development and do something else. This will drive up the price of food for the other farmers until it reaches a point where farmers want to farm. Small farmers have a hard time competing because agriculture is the most efficient industry in the world, followed by manufacturing. It is a very tough industry and makes computer chip manufacturing look easy. A look at Archer Daniels Midland's financials shows how hard it is to be a farmer if you cannot scale up to the level of your competitors. Lots of risk, lots of required capital and lots of competition make for tough going. No one "deserves" more money. They should get what the customer is willing to pay and no more and no less. If it isn't suitable to them personally, then they should have the freedom to find new work.
2007-11-12 14:37:56 · answer #2 · answered by OPM 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The truth is, for all their whining, I have never met a poor farmer.
2007-11-12 12:22:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋