End the War on Healthy Plant-Based Foods (policy suggestion)

Health
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Whereas plant-based diets have been shown to improve the health of people, allowing individuals to live healthier lives, feel better, and require less pharmaceuticals; but whereas the United States government is influenced by the billions of dollars animal agriculture and big pharma spend on lobbyists (see Agribusiness Lobbying • OpenSecrets, Agribusiness, Industry Lobbying Exceeds $500 Million | Union of Concerned Scientists, Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Lobbying Profile • OpenSecrets, and Lobbying Expenditures and Campaign Contributions by the Pharmaceutical and Health Product Industry in the United States, 1999-2018 - PMC) a federal government policy is therefore needed to mandate that we End the War on Healthy Plant-Based Foods.

While there are many immediate health detriments to NOT eating healthy plant-based foods, animal agriculture also has a negative impact on the health of millions of Americans through the destruction and pollution of the environment. Whereas some Americans may not be concerned with or believe in global warming, there can be no debate that the large amount of pollution from animal agriculture is detrimental to the health of millions of Americans, including the health of the elderly, our children, our pets; and that the health impacts of pollution, while making us sicker and shortening our lives, also create financial opportunities for the big pharma and healthcare industries.

Therefore, I suggest a Policy to End the War on Healthy Plant-Based Foods that includes the following:

A. Creating a Plant-Based Statics Department to report directly to the Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services, to focus and report on:

  1. The impact of pollution and deforestation caused by animal agriculture on the health of Americans

  2. Big pharma’s financial incentives to suppress the use of plant-based foods to help prevent and cure disease

  3. The long-term health benefits of a plant-based diet, especially a whole-foods plant-based diet (see Plant-Based Diets)

B. Creating a Plant-Based Nutritional Guidance Department to report directly to the Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services, to:

  1. Work on replacing current government supported food pyramids with a much healthier plant-based food pyramid (for examples, see Veganism - Vegan Food Pyramid, Vegan Food Pyramid – Recommendations | ecodemy, Vegan Food Pyramid | Vegan Green Planet, https://veganfoodpyramid.com/)

  2. Work with expert plant-based nutrition organizations, such as Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Recommendations), to help create educational materials regarding the health benefits of plant-based diets for Americans

  3. Develop educational guidance (possibly partnering with the Department of Education) for American students in elementary school to learn about plant agriculture and prepare those with interest for careers in the plant agriculture industry

C. Ending taxpayer funded subsidies for the animal agriculture industry and instead subsidizing plant-based foods, at a fraction of the cost, so that:

  1. Americans will have access to affordable healthy plant-based foods and be healthier and live longer

  2. Health insurance costs will decrease, thereby reducing one of the greatest financial burdens for the American people

  3. We can produce more food and help fight hunger (see Feed vs. Food: How Farming Animals Fuels Hunger - A Well-Fed World)

  4. A Plant-Based Job Creation Task Force can be created so America can:

4a. Grow more than enough food to feed its population and reduce the need to import food from other countries

4b. Subsidize farmers switching from animal agriculture to growing food to feed Americans (and profitably export plant-based foods to other countries)

4c. Provide financial incentives and business training opportunities for farming businesses switching from animal agriculture to growing food for Americans

4d. Learn the skills necessary for success working in the plant agriculture industry

4e. Move from unhealthy and unsafe jobs in the animal agriculture industry, such as low paying and unhealthy jobs in slaughterhouses (see The Psychological Impact of Slaughterhouse Employment: A Systematic Literature Review - PMC, and For Slaughterhouse Workers, Physical Injuries Are Only the Beginning ✦ OnLabor) to fair-paying jobs working in healthier environments such as greenhouses, farms growing food, etc.

  1. American tax dollars will be saved. A recent article by EWG shows that from 1995 to 2023, the Department of Agriculture spent at least $72B in subsidies for livestock and seafood producers ( see USDA livestock subsidies top $72B | Environmental Working Group).

D. Reducing disease outbreaks that result from eating animals. Some examples from history include, COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, Mad Cow Disease, Ebola, etc. See https://karger.com/mip/article/30/1-6/2/196843/The-Causal-Relationship-between-Eating-Animals-and, https://www.sinergiaanimalinternational.org/single-post/disease-outbreaks-started-animal-consumption.

E. Putting an end to unconstitutional local “Ag Gag” laws throughout the United States that attempt to make illegal the disclosure of unsanitary and unhealthy conditions of animal farms, sometimes violating First Amendment rights to such an extent as to attempt to make the simple filming of farm animals a felony, whereas the same filming in any other place or any other situation would be perfectly legal. See Ag-Gag Laws, and the Fight Over Them, Explained

10 Likes
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This policy would be incredibly valuable as it would MAJORLY cut back costs, improve peoples’ health, take up far less land (think about the amount of land needed to grow crops, which get fed to animals, as well as the land they are on, the slaughterhouse they’re shipped to and the meat processing plant), lower risk of zoonotic diseases exponentially, and lower the degree of slaughter. And food could EASILY be cheaper if we invested in growing plants rather than animal agriculture.

6 Likes
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Supporting a plant-sourced food system is among the most important things we can do for our health, the Earth, and to extend compassion to all with whom we share our planet. Its the next step towards reclaiming our humanity and living responsibly.

5 Likes
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We need less bloated, toxic government, not more.

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I strongly support this proposed policy. As a healthcare provider, I have seen the effects of poor nutrition leading to chronic illness. Plant based diets have been proven to be rich in nutrients and the most beneficial to our health. The incidence of zoonotic illnesses are on the rise putting people at even more risk of getting sick. I believe this policy will greatly improve the health of the American people saving billions in growing healthcare costs and lowering profits to big pharmaceutical companies.

5 Likes
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Saving money and eating healthy is important to everyone, and this policy outlines a cohesive solution to begin on the path to rethinking our food choices and properly aligning government subsidies and food education to better choices.

6 Likes
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We are staring down the barrel of a gun with a probable bird flu pandemic on the way. A plant based diet is beneficial for human health, reducing the incidences of heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses. We need to save water and land and other natural resources for the future of the planet. We are in a climate emergency. Instead of a war on plant based foods, the government needs to fully promote these and stop their promotion of animal products.

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8

This would be a game changer for our health and our planet.

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9

This policy references sources ( ie. PCRM, Food Pyramid, Lobbying history of BigAg & BigPharma, EWG, Slaughterhouse labor risks) etc. Well researched!

3 Likes
10

This would be a great idea. I would support it 100%.

3 Likes
11

So important! This would be a major game changer in so many ways. Please consider.

2 Likes