Fact Check: Does the Government Subsidize the Planting of GMO?

5/3/16
A viral meme claims that the Government subsidizes the planting of GM crops.  A second part of the meme claims that organic farmers must pay a fee for the organic certification and label.  This last part is common knowledge and is true, so we will look to see if the Government does subsidize the growing of GM crops.

According to the 2014 Farm Bill the government no longer subsidizes the growing of any crops.  “With U.S. farm profits at a record $129 billion, in 2014 lawmakers eliminated the subsidies completely. Instead, the nation’s 1.7 million farmers must choose between two new programs intended to protect them against unexpected losses. One would insure their income in bad harvest years. The other would compensate them if crop prices fell.” ( Bloomberg) Prior to 2014, the Government did subsidize the growing of certain crops, with Soy and Corn being the top crops.  The 2008 Farm Bill did not directly subsidize GMO crops, but rather the crops in general.  Over 80% of corn in the USA is GM, so therefore, the Government was indirectly funding GM crops.

The Verdict: Since the Government did indirectly provide subsidies for GM crops in the past we rate the claim as Mostly False rather than a blatant lie.

Here is the Meme:

Sources:

Farm Bill 2014: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=farmbill

Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-farm-bill/

By Dave Van Zandt

 

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