EXAM 2 - Politics of Ag & Food Flashcards
definition: the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power
politics
definition: involve the governmental control and debate over the production, regulation, inspection, distribution & consumption of food
food politics
What 4 major disputes concerning farming, agricultural, and retailing methods & regulations are food politics affected by?
(1) ethical
(2) cultural
(3) medical
(4) environmental
Food politics influences and is influenced by what 3 things?
(1) costs: of food production and prices that consumers pay for food
(2) availability: of different food products
(3) safety: of food supply
What type of crops are most often at the heart of food politics?
non-perishable storable commodity crops (corn, rice, & wheat)
“______ actions” are considered a supplement to regulation and litigation under the environmental laws.
nuisance
What does politics in farming revolve around?
concept of urban sprawl
definition: rural areas encroached on by urban areas and subdivisions
urban sprawl
What actions are used to determine if the use of property is “unreasonable” under given circumstances?
nuisance
What are two main questions nuisance actions address? & If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then what happens?
-is the particular use “NEW”
-is the particular use “ABNORMAL” for the area
-has his neighbor (the defendant) expanded the operation and/or property and is it encroaching on the complainant’s property
Legal action can be taken to stop or “abate” a public nuisance
How is a private nuisance stopped or “abated”?
by legal action brought by a private property owner against an adjacent property owner
What is the side of farmers in the “farmers vs neighbors” conflict?
-legal “right to farm”
-interest in preserving their livelihood
What is the side of neighbors in the “farmers vs neighbors” conflict?
-legal rights to clean art and water
-interest in preserving “quality of life”
______ laws are ones that seek to protect qualifying farmers and ranchers from nuisance lawsuits filed by individuals who move into a rural area where normal farming operations exist, and who later use nuisance actions to attempt to stop those ongoing operations
right to farm
Which US states are right to farm laws enacted in? Does each state have the same content in specific details of the laws?
ALL 50! No!
What was the intention of right to farm laws?
to limit nuisance actions
In general right to farm laws:
-prohibit ____ governments from passing stricter laws on agriculture than the laws of the state
-restrict nuisance suits if the plaintiff moved to the area of an ______ _____ agricultural operation
-restrict nuisance suits if the farm operation engages in ______ ____ agricultural practices that do not violate any laws & if the farm operation is located in an ______ zone
local; already established; generally accepted; agricultural
If plaintiff loses the case in right to farm laws, then who do they have to pay?
attorney fees of the defendant–> limits the number of cases brought about
US food politics focuses on what 5 things?
(1) modern techniques of rearing animals
(2) genetically modified foods
(3) “big” food companies
(4) pesticide use on crops
(5) food movements
With regards to modern techniques of rearing animals, what is the main focus in politics in US?
concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) - AFOs with more than 1000 animal units
definition: any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques
GMOs
What are “big” food companies in the US (top 5)?
(1) PepsiCo, Inc
(2) Tyson foods
(3) Nestle
(4) JBS USA
(5) Anheuser-Busch
What is the problem of not having GMOs?
crop yields are reduced = food prices go up = GG emissions go up
The 10 largest food companies produce more than ___% all US food sales.
50
