Meatonomics Author Dave Simon on the Rigged Economics of Meat and Dairy If you’re an average-earning American, Dave Simon calculates that you give a $1500 gift to the meat and dairy industries every year, as part of your taxes. How do you feel about that? Simon, a lawyer, vegan, and author of Meatonomics, joins us to talk about the economics behind meat and dairy. Over the last 75 years, these industries have worked hard to keep demand for their products high by aggressively marketing to kids and adults, and influencing government-issued food guides. At the same time, they have kept prices low by vigorously lobbying politicians for generous subsidies and industry-friendly laws. With a knack for explaining things like “externalized costs” and “checkoff programs” in plain language, Simon will show us what he sees as the consequences of an out-of-control system, and share with us his top 3 recommendations for starting to put things right. (And although Simon’s book focuses on the U.S., he will give us some Canadian context too.)
