"The European Union covers a largely urbanised continent, but it sometimes feels like a farming-subsidy club with a flag and a parliament.

[ruth_mottram@fediscience.org]

"The European Union covers a largely urbanised continent, but it sometimes feels like a farming-subsidy club with a flag and a parliament. Around a third of the bloc’s budget goes to farmers".

https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/01/15/europes-farmers-no-longer-rule-the-roost-unchallenged?giftId=ODY0MmMxODAtMDg2My00YzUyLThkZDgtM2Q2NWRjMDY3OTA2&utm_campaign=gifted_article

[axeln@norden.social]

@Ruth_Mottram @hypebot Yes, because even if not viable from a capitalist viewpoint, it makes sense to stay independent in food stuff production.

[kthy@helvede.net]

@axeln @Ruth_Mottram @hypebot but are we using the subsidies intelligently to keep a sustainable food production running so we're self-sufficient? Or are we perhaps pissing it away on brutal pig factories selling cheap, antibiotic-filled pork to China?

[axeln@norden.social]

@kthy @Ruth_Mottram @hypebot Unfortunately, that’s politics. Strategy is deciding to keep the production base, politics and market economy on what to produce.