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While food tariffs are an obvious example of food protectionism (and the harm it causes), oftentimes seemingly unrelated food policies—from farm subsidies to food-safety regulations—both arise out of protectionist impulses and have a protectionist impact.
In short, food protectionism can be found in almost every industry and has a negative impact on burgeoning businesses—like new brick-and-mortar restaurants and food trucks in San Francisco—and on giant international corporations competing in far-off markets like Australia. Consumers are made worse off, too, by artificial barriers that mean food and food sellers can't meet demand.
Whether the protectionist impulses of governments and entrenched businesses are laid bare or are dressed up in calls for patriotism, planning, or public health, they share the common traits of harmfulness, ugliness, illegitimacy, and illegality. Such impacts—and the laws that lead to them—deserve no protection.