Series: The Advocates
Episode: 98
Original Link: https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-6w96688q7b
Episode Summary:
This episode of The Advocates addressed the question of whether large corporations should be driven out of farming, focusing on the impact of corporate involvement on small family farms and rural America. Advocate Howard Miller, joined by Jim Hightower and Senator Fred Harris, argued that the increasing presence of industrial conglomerates in agriculture displaces family farmers who are often more efficient, but cannot compete with the financial advantages, tax write-offs, and market power of large corporations. They contended that beyond economic metrics, the decline of the family farm brings significant human and social costs—eroding rural communities, local economies, and ultimately fueling urban problems as displaced farmers flock to cities. Miller’s side supported legislation (the Family Farm Act) that would force companies with substantial non-farm assets to divest their agricultural holdings, in an effort to restore real competition and revitalize rural America.
Opposing this view, William Rusher and his witnesses—direct farmers, agribusiness executives, and an agricultural economist—argued that large corporations are not the cause of small farm decline, but rather partners that provide vital capital, marketing, and technological support to many independent growers. They maintained that modern agriculture requires scale and efficiency, and that restrictions on corporate ownership would create chaos, harm productive partnerships, drive up food prices, and do little to help the smallest struggling farms. Instead, they asserted, much of the industry’s transformation is driven by technological change and market forces unrelated to corporate power.
The episode crystallized deeper tensions between economic efficiency and social values, modernization and tradition, and the appropriate role of government intervention in market structure. While Miller’s team emphasized preserving the fabric of rural society and ensuring a level playing field, Rusher’s side warned against protectionism that could undermine competitiveness and ultimately harm both consumers and farmers.
