Ronald said:
However, I don't
>think decommodifying grain will do the trick. We need to decommodify
>farming, especially farmland. It should all be put in trust and leased
>cheap to people who agree to farm it sustainably. I don't suppose the
>'trade' cares much for that idea either, but it seems to be catching on in
>some places.
Farmland owned by a non-profit trust and rented to sustainable farmers.
Ronald, you have something here with this concept which could be adapted to
the situations in many different countries. For instance:
A lot of the farmland in the USA is now rented from private owners.
A Sustainable Farmland Trust could be setup under the DEEP ECOLOGY
religion* so it would have the same tax exempt status like that other
church-owned farms have.
Due to the "Avery yield drag" which he sees occuring from sustainable
farming practices but which also help save our environment - a public good,
the trust land will be rented to sustainable farmers at rental rates
proportionally below that paid for conventional farmland.
This lower rental rate would make up for the make up for the lower farm
income caused by the "decreased yield" resulting from the convenant
restrictions imposed by the land grantor in the original bequest.
The amount of rent reduction would be based on the amount of the Avery
yield drag expected to occur based on the details of the convenant
restrictions, ie full certified organic, sustainable, etc.
This is just a thought experiment but if somebody is thinking of putting
their land in trust, it is a system to consider.
and to a statement from Dale,
>I am always surprised at your opinion on this. Just goes to show you what I
>always say, we shouldn't stereotype others and assume we know what they
>think because of their opinions on one or two issue.
A very wise point is made here too. Oh, how I wish people on some other
lists that I frequent would adopt this same attitude.
Mike Miller
*DEEP ECOLOGY is claimed to be a religion by timber interests, in a
Minnesota lawsuit I seem to recall, and as such it is being given a special
preference when the government regulates timber sales. See
http://www.deep-ecology.org/home.html for a Deep Ecology website.
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