
Midwest farmers face a crisis. Hundreds are dying by suicide - onetimemanytime
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/03/09/climate-tariffs-debt-and-isolation-drive-some-farmers-suicide/4955865002/
======
kod45
What can society really do about it though?

Reminds me of the mindbending Shittown Alabama podcast This American Life did
a few years back. At the end of it, all I was left feeling was society has
zero ideas about how to do anything about these issues.

There are blame games and anger/frustration/guilt/shame constantly expressed
but I couldn't find anyone talking about solutions.

~~~
eesmith
Thoughts from the top of my head:

Break up the big ag companies's centralized power. Eg, Roundup/Roundup-ready.
This includes shortening or eliminating seed patents that prevent farmers from
keeping and reusing seeds for the next harvest.

Ditto for companies like John Deere who use the DMCA to extract more money
from farmers - [https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xykkkd/why-american-
farme...](https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xykkkd/why-american-farmers-are-
hacking-their-tractors-with-ukrainian-firmware) . More generally, pass right-
to-repair laws.

Strong environmental protection laws, with real enforcement, to prevent
companies like Smithfield Foods from undercutting smaller farmers who can't
get away with massive pollution -
[https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boss-
hog-t...](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boss-hog-the-dark-
side-of-americas-top-pork-producer-68087/) .

Nationalized healthcare, including mental health care, with enough staff to
handle rural areas well. This should include regular home visits to people who
live too far from medical offices.

That is, I think there's lots that society _can do_. But money buys voice and
power in our current system. So, proportional representation, single
transferable vote, estate tax and global wealth tax, etc.

------
tetris11
They're going the way of the French then.

