Here's how agriculture subsidies shape the food we eat

Matthew Werner runs a 600-acre farm in northwest Indiana. Since the early 1900s, his family has grown crops, primarily soybeans and corn, on the same plot of land. His operation benefits from crop insurance, a program that pays farmers through the United States Department of Agriculture.

“I believe about two thirds of your crop insurance is subsidized and paid for by American taxpayers. So that basically guarantees a certain level of production and a certain price on a per acre basis,” Matt explains.

Some $425 billion has been allocated for agricultural subsidies over the past 25 years according to the Environmental Working Group. Only a small portion of those funds are going to farms like Matt’s. The EWG estimates the top 1 percent of recipients receive 26 percent of all the money.

“Farm subsidies are allocated on a per acre basis. So the more farmland you own, the more subsidies you qualify for,” says Anne Schechinger, the Midwest Director for EWG.

The organization released a report called Cityslickers that tracks the number of individuals who receive subsidies but don’t actually work on farms. They’re simply landowners.