Summary
In election year 2012, the U.S. Congress considered a new Farm Bill, the government’s primary means of setting food and agriculture policy. The existing Farm Bill has been criticized by public health experts for subsidizing crops used in ingredients—such as high-fructose corn syrup—in unhealthy foods. At the same time, the bill helps fund food assistance programs in the U.S., making food—healthy or otherwise—more affordable for many Americans. Amid calls for federal budget cuts, this Forum webcast focused on the implications for feeding the nation when politics, economics and nutrition collide.
Part of: Policy Controversies.
Background Articles
- Technology, Diet, and the Burden of Chronic Disease
The Journal of the American Medical Association - The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Soda, and USDA Policy: Who Benefits?
The Journal of the American Medical Association - A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in the United States in the 21st Century
New England Journal of Medicine - The Economics of Food Insecurity in the United States
Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy - Food and Nutrition Programs in the Next Farm Bill
Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm and Resource Issues - USDA Farm Bill Information
United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural policies, food and public health
EMBO Reports - Farm Bill News
New York Times - NRCS Farm Bill Conservation Programs
Natural Resources Conservation Service - Why You Should Care About the Farm Bill
NPR - Food reform to fight obesity: Panel says government changes in crop, aid policies could foster healthier eating
Harvard Gazette
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