> Imagine having no Farm Policy and we end up having food shortages
There is little doubt that agricultural policy in the west is all about protecting a specific industry from the realities of globalization and not about securing the food supply.
Being a small country, not having a farm policy and also going to war with your neighbors might lead to food shortages. The agricultural policies of the EU and USA do way, way more harm than good.
Indeed - they're a major contributory factor to poverty in the third world, along with aid. Yes, aid causes poverty: it warps economies and cultures them to be dependent on outside help; food aid depresses local food prices, drives farmers out of business, etc.
"The policy have now is problematic, therefore we shouldn't have any policy". This is a non sequitur, but it's common fair in the libertarian world view.
Yes, that is a non sequitur, fortunately that is not what those proposing we abolish the farm policy are saying (at least not the thoughtful ones.)
They are rather laying out problems with any farm policy. Any farm policy will distort the economics of food production. Any farm policy will influence individual consumers choices in a non-market-based manner. Any farm policy will have international implications, and any farm policy that looks anything remotely like ours at all will harm less developed countries.
I personally am inclined to think we should have a farm policy. If we are going to have an intelligent discussion about it, we should start by acknowleding that those that disagree with us might have valid points that are at least worth considering.
Really trying to understand the viewpoint of someone you disagree with is far more productive than tilting at strawmen.
"Any farm policy will distort the economics of food production."
What is "The economics"? This is the next common fallacy on the libertarian side. That there is some sort of law of physics that represents "The economy" and that any regulation interferes with this one true law of God.
There is no such thing as "The economics" or "The one true market". There are many markets, and all of them are based on arbitrary rules with trade offs.
There is little doubt that agricultural policy in the west is all about protecting a specific industry from the realities of globalization and not about securing the food supply.
Being a small country, not having a farm policy and also going to war with your neighbors might lead to food shortages. The agricultural policies of the EU and USA do way, way more harm than good.