Letters: EATS Act takes away opportunities; Benefits in Inflation Reduction Act

EATS Act takes away opportunities

I am a meat wholesaler, buying cattle and hogs from PA farmers (our first farm partners were in Centre County!). It’s not a contentious fact that the U.S. meat system is highly concentrated; four companies control 85% of the beef and 66% of the pork supply. Concentration means there are few buyers, which means low prices and few options for farmers.

The “Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act” (EATS Act) is a federal bill introduced in response to California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3, which both say that any producer wishing to sell pork, chicken or veal into California or Massachusetts must meet basic animal welfare requirements. If EATS were to pass, both these laws and others like it would be eliminated. I’d like to point out a major win that EATS would destroy, not just for animals, but for the farmers and smaller meat wholesalers, such as myself. There are so few opportunities to beat one of the big packers at the meat game, and Prop 12 and Question 3 create market demand for smaller, more nimble meat companies to fill. While we have fewer resources, we are scrappier and faster, we’re hungrier and these higher-welfare markets might just provide a meal for a few of us. So, I hope Congress rejects the EATS Act, which would take away a critical opportunity for us small guys to rise to the occasion and further cement consolidation of our food system, ultimately hurting animals, farmers and businesses like mine.

Benefits in Inflation Reduction Act

Aug. 16 was the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act. It is the largest investment in climate action that the United States has ever passed. The sprawling bill deals with many things, but most of it encourages production of clean electricity (like solar and wind) and reduction of carbon emissions. It supports electric vehicles, conservation and forestry, provides loans and grants, and much more. It is estimated that this act will make it possible for us to reduce emissions by 40% of 2005 levels by 2030.

Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this bill. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reports that most registered voters (57%) say they have heard either “a little” (24%) or “nothing at all” (33%) about it. Businesses, on the other hand, are taking advantage of its provisions. World Resources Institute reports that “The law has already unleashed a manufacturing renaissance by nearly doubling the amount of manufacturing construction in just one year, with forecasts of even higher growth in years to come.”

We should all help spread the word about the benefits and promote the transition to the clean energy economy. This bill alone will not get us to the goals that have been set nationally and internationally, but it is a big step in the right direction.

To learn about the tax credits and see how much you can save by switching from fossil fuels to electricity, check out the website RewiringAmerica.org.