Tag: Government subsidies

In 1946, the U.S. National School Lunch Act mandated that every school lunch include milk. This powerful historical action reveals that government interest in this beverage extends beyond simple dietary advice, intertwining public health objectives with economic policy to promote why the government wants us to drink milk.

Facing a steady decline in sales during the 1990s, the dairy industry intensified its promotional efforts. However, the push for milk consumption has a much longer and more complex history, rooted in government policy and strategic marketing that sought to establish milk as a dietary staple. This raises the question: why was milk pushed so hard?

According to a 2024 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), unhealthy dietary patterns are responsible for approximately $8 trillion in annual hidden health costs globally. This staggering figure underscores a crucial, widespread problem: why are bad unhealthy calories cheaper than their nutritious counterparts?