There’s a food shortage coming to America thanks to the coronavirus. Sadly, it’s not because there’s a lack of food. It’s because there’s an overabundance of regulations and laws that will hamper the ability of food producers to get products to the people and grocery stores. Potatoes are rotting. Livestock is being slaughtered. Meanwhile, millions of Americans wonder what—if any—food they’re going to put on the table tonight.
Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) has a long-standing plan to assist meat producers. He is also calling for similar legislation to assist in getting produce to the people. He fears a food shortage is going to happen if we don’t act immediately, and he’s probably right. Unfortunately, government will likely only react when the problem is here rather than preventing it from happening in the first place.
https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1254421817961349122
My bicameral/bipartisan PRIME Act would be a good first step. The legislation would make it possible for farmers to use existing infrastructure to provide food directly to consumers and grocery stores. Cosponsors already include Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 26, 2020
Here’s an interview I did a few years ago that explains how creating one small exemption to one regulation could help facilitate a revival of safe, healthy, local, and affordable beef and pork:https://t.co/cCl6CPxRcz
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 26, 2020
There was a time about a century ago when food regulations were absolutely necessary. Storage, refrigeration, preservation techniques, and safety concerns needed to be addressed. But for at least the last four decades, the majority of food regulations have had little to do with safety and plenty to do with crony capitalism. Government has inserted itself, as it is wont to do, in the affairs of private companies, farmers, distributors, sellers, and consumers.
It’s time to roll back a ton of regulations and laws that prevent food from getting to dining room tables across the country. Many of them can go away and never return even after the coronavirus crisis has abated.
The coronavirus has created enough challenges to Americans’ health, financial situations, and freedoms. We can prevent adding a food shortage to the list if we act now and cut the red tape that’s keeping food off the shelves. Thomas Massie needs our support.
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