Start Small, Start Today
* If you want to change 200 years of farm policy, devastating environmental damage, and ingrained food habits, start with today's lunch. Spend your food money on farmers, and you'll be making a big difference.
* The average annual food budget per U.S. household is $5,340, according to a recent report by the U.S. Dept of labor. Divide that by three squares a day, and a single meal costs a measly $4.88.
* If 225,000 people made a commitment to purchase one meal a week directly from local farmers, more than $57 million would shift out of corporate coffers into the pockets of real people.
* Not convinced? The U.S. Dept of Agriculture reports an average farm business income of $20,663 in 2004. At that price tag, the one-meal-a-week plan would support almost 3,000 farming households.
Busting the Food Bank
Americans pay less for groceries than nearly any other nation, but more for our food. That's because factory farming degrades our environment, burns up fossil fuels, devastates our rural economies, and harms our health. Who picks up the tab?
* Agricultural pollution accounts for 70 percent of all problems in U.S. rivers and streams, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
* Environmental damage casued by industrial farming costs the U.S. $34.7 billion a year (more than $300 per U.S. household)
* 17% of U.S. fossil fuel consumption is used in food production.
* Farm subsidies in 2004 totaled $12.5 billion, and 62% of the money went to 10% of the recipients.
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