Saturday, May 8, 2010

How farm subsidies kill Europeans

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main cause of deaths in the Europe, approximately 49 percent of all deaths, out of which 30 percent of all premature deaths before the age of 65. Cardiovascular diseases are estimated to cost the EU €169 billion every year.

Let take a look at the data. In Germany, 907 men and 237 women on average die prematurely each year before the age of 75 due to coronory heart diseases (CHD). In the UK, 479 men and 1453 women die each year due to premature death alone. The number of premature deaths is high in Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain) as well. In Italy, 233 men and 826 women die because of the premature death (link).

"The school milk subsidy scheme introduced by the European Commission likewise means that a child drinking full-fat rather than skimmed milk will consume an additional 1.5 kg of saturated fat every year approximately 4 g per day. British children obtain 23% of their daily saturated fat intake from full-fat milk (link)."

To prevent premature deaths in Europe, European policymakers should impose a tax on the products causing significant health problems such as diabetes, obesity, lung cancer, incresing blood pressure, raising cholesterol etc., and by doing so save more lives. The EU Common Agicultural Policy (CAP) annual budget represents approximately €45 billion which represents 45 percent of the overall EU budget. Through subsidies and direct payments, CAP is a source of massive oversupply and overproduction of dairy products. These products are the main source of excessive butter and full-fat milk consumption which further leads to raising cholesterol, coronary heart diseases, incresed blood presure etc. The CAP has a deadly cost - human lives.

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