And of course, as you mentioned, grains make cows, pigs, etc. cheaper. Again, not ideal for the human body and even less so for Mother Nature.
The free-market might lead to the same, but it certainly seems less likely.
If it turns out that the farmer that uses the water for his grain fed factory-farm animals, then the allocation of that money was useless.
There's much more protein/carbs/fiber calories per energy wasted in vegetables than it is in meat in the case of factory farmed meat.
To me it just looks as if luxury foods like meat have large industry players that have influenced the law and the politicians to get subsidies they need to keep their products as cheap as ordinary poor-man food (potatoes, beans, dark greens etc.).
Note: I understand the rise of obesity is a more complicated than overeating. That said, you don't get obese by under-eating.
p.s. Ironic that obesity has been declared a threat to national security. That is, we're too fat to fight.
Of course issues exist, because inefficiency is subsidized.
For example, growing quinoa is a freaking gold mine yet there's still not enough competition.
Yet growing corn and wheat is a life living on the edge of bankruptcy yet it is heavily subsidized by the state everywhere.
There's no free market in farming, probably never will be because the ruling class is afraid of food shortages and set-in-stone food luxury standards.