News & Views

Factory farms already get billions annually in federal government subsidies

In a major “greenwashing” offensive, many factory farms — the highly profitable hubs of industrial agriculture that produce almost all the meat and dairy products sold by fast-food franchises and supermarkets — have recently begun using mechanical anaerobic “digesters” to turn some of the animal waste they generate into “biogas.” And provisions in recently introduced bills in Lansing would certify that such a gas would meet Michigan clean fuel standards. A coalition called Michiganders for a Just Farming System (MJFS) is battling big ag and oil company lobbyists to oppose these bills...