During a town hall in Michigan on Tuesday, Donald Trump was asked how he would bring down the price of groceries. He answered, “We allow a lot of farm product into our country. We’re going have to be a little like other countries. We’re not going to allow so much.”
Most observers noted that reducing food supply would actually do the opposite—raise prices—and yes, it would. But it would also limit the foods we’d have available to us.
You like coffee? Tough. A small fraction is grown in Hawaii, otherwise most comes from outside the country.
Blueberries? Better enjoy that short growing season because you won’t be getting them from South America.
Avocadoes? June through September.
Grapes? May through January, then nope.
Myriad ethnic foods from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe would be affected. In fact, over half of our fruits and vegetables are imported.
And given that 44% of domestic farm workers are undocumented immigrants according to the Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey, what happens when they are mass deported according to Trump’s plan, and our own farmers are faced with rotting crops in their fields?
Florida knows a little about that.
“In the last nine months [since a draconian anti-immigrant law was signed by Florida Gov. Ron Desantis], as workers have fled, “help wanted” signs have reportedly popped up across the state. Crops have been left to rot in fields. Entire communities emptied out and turned into “ghost towns,” food policy outlet Civil Eats reported. “‘Once the law passed, there were empty houses,’ said [an undocumented worker who goes by] Moncho. ‘You went down the street, and it was, ‘For Rent. For Rent. For Rent,’ everywhere.’”
If Trump wants to run on “you won’t be able to find bananas,” then all the power to him. If he wants to cancel Halloween, as very little chocolate is grown in the U.S., that’s weird, but okay. At the very least, the media should cover it, not ignore it.
But all those Trump supporters actually dealing with price-gouging food manufacturers would have to deal with a whole new rash of food shortages.
Too bad they’ve forgotten the last time supply chains were fucked thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, otherwise they wouldn’t be so eager for a reprise.
