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by _heimdall 821 days ago
Farmers often don't have a choice on this. A vast majority of operations depend on debt and government subsidies just to get by, both come with strings attached related to both farming methods used and required yields.

I'd propose that the more sustainable solution here is to help get out of a farmers way (both financially and regulatorily) rather than trying to encourage get another round of changes. I'm assuming the encouragement would have to come similar to the current ones, as either legal requirements or strings attached to the money.

Farming is a nearly impossible business to be in today with depending entirely on debt and subsidies, at least in the US. Prices are insanely low relative to the cost and risk of raising animals and farming crops. Until that problem is fixed, farmers have little choice other than to look for expense optimizations anywhere they can (regardless of long term damage) and follow whatever rules are tied to the money they take.