[reducesuffering]

It's really not shocking. Those people could then possibly buy entirely imported food if it was cheaper and wipe out domestic agricultural. Ensuring domestic food production is geopolitics 101, above domestic energy production. A nation doesn't want its bellies depending on a foreign adversary. You aren't a sovereign nation then.

[samwisedum]

You're right. That said there are other ways to get around cheeper imported food. Why not raise the tariffs?

I just generally find it surprising that the US subsidizes an industry. It feels against the countries ideals, and I think the subsidies decrease the industry's incentives for innovation.

[reducesuffering]

That's going in the opposite direction with respect to where you would like food prices to be. It's the same final outcome you're concerned with about foreign production. Food is a bare necessity for a country's people and you want those prices as low as possible. Most places make a sales tax exception on groceries for this reason. People will allow dictators to seize power if it means they don't starve. But the same direction applies in less extreme situations. With US inflation already at 7.5%, good luck stopping food subsidies, adding food taxes (tariffs), and seeing food prices lurch another 30%. Current politicians would be voted out in a flash.