Food Fix

1. Our food system is the nexus of global crises, from health to climate change

Food is the nexus of most of our world's health, economic, environmental, climate, social, and even political crises.

Health crisis: Our diet is the number one cause of death, disability, and suffering worldwide. Chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer now kill nearly 50 million people a year, more than twice as many as infectious diseases. The food we eat has dramatically transformed over the last 100 years, with a shift towards ultraprocessed foods made from a handful of crops (wheat, corn, soy).

Environmental impact: The industrial agricultural and food system (including food waste) is the single biggest cause of climate change, exceeding all use of fossil fuels. Current farming practices may cause us to run out of soil and fresh water in this century. We are destroying our rivers, lakes, and oceans by the runoff of nitrogen-based fertilizers, creating vast swaths of marine dead zones.

Economic burden: Chronic disease is projected to cost the global economy $95 trillion over the next 35 years in both direct health care costs and lost productivity. This staggering amount is almost five times the U.S. gross domestic product.

2. The true cost of food extends far beyond the price tag

If the true price of food were built into the price we pay, or if Big Ag and Big Food had to pay for the harm caused by the food they produce—the pollution, the loss of biodiversity, the loss of soil and cropland, the depletion of our water resources, chronic disease, the loss of intellectual capital due to harm to our children's brains from ultra-processed food, farmworker and food worker injustices, the threat to national security, and other damaging outcomes—then your grass-fed steak and organic, regeneratively grown produce and food would be much cheaper than industrial food.

Hidden costs: The price we pay for food at the grocery store or restaurant doesn't reflect its true cost to society and the environment. These hidden costs include:

• Environmental degradation (soil erosion, water pollution, biodiversity loss)
• Health care costs from diet-related chronic diseases
• Social injustices (exploitation of farmworkers, food insecurity)
• Climate change impacts

Economic implications: If these externalities were factored into food prices:

• Unhealthy, industrially produced foods would be much more expensive
• Sustainably produced, healthy foods would be relatively cheaper
• Consumers would have better incentives to make healthier, more sustainable food choices

Policy changes needed: To address this disparity, we need policies that:

• Internalize the true costs of food production
• Provide subsidies for sustainable and healthy food production
• Implement taxes on foods with high social and environmental costs

3. Big Food's influence distorts nutrition science and public health policies

Big Food companies claim to be good stewards of public health. They argue that obesity is a complex issue and that they have an important role to play in addressing it. Engaging government agencies and working on policy issues is a critical part of this effort, they say. But food companies have a much more insidious motive.

Tactics used by Big Food:

• Funding biased research: Studies funded by the food industry are 8 to 50 times more likely to find a positive outcome for their products.
• Influencing policy: Lobbying efforts and campaign contributions sway lawmakers to protect industry interests.
• Manipulating public opinion: Creating front groups that appear independent but promote industry-friendly messages.
• Co-opting health organizations: Providing funding to health and nutrition groups to gain their support or silence.

Impact on public health: These tactics have led to:

• Confusing and contradictory nutrition advice
• Weak regulations on unhealthy foods
• Delayed action on important public health measures (e.g., soda taxes, marketing restrictions)

Need for transparency: To combat this influence, we need:

• Stricter disclosure rules for industry-funded research
• Limits on industry involvement in policy-making
• Greater public awareness of food industry tactics

4. School food environments are battlegrounds for children's health

We don't let tobacco makers market their products in schools; why do we let processed-food companies, given that those foods kill more people than cigarettes?

Current state of school food: Many schools in America offer unhealthy food options, including:

• Fast food chains selling pizza and cheeseburgers on school grounds
• Vending machines stocked with sugary drinks and snacks
• Cafeteria meals high in processed ingredients

Impact on children's health:

• One in three children is now overweight or obese
• Type 2 diabetes, once rare in children, is becoming increasingly common
• Poor nutrition affects cognitive development and academic performance

Solutions:

1. Ban junk food marketing in schools
2. Implement strict nutrition standards for all food sold in schools
3. Introduce salad bars and fresh, whole food options
4. Provide nutrition education and cooking classes
5. Partner with local farms to source fresh, seasonal produce

Success stories: Some schools have already implemented positive changes, such as:

• Eliminating sugary drinks and seeing improvements in student health and behavior
• Introducing farm-to-school programs that increase consumption of fresh produce
• Teaching students to grow food in school gardens

5. Food injustice perpetuates social inequalities and racial disparities

Food apartheid, an embedded social and political form of discrimination that recognizes that these areas of food disparity are not a natural phenomenon like deserts.

Food apartheid: This term describes the systemic lack of access to healthy food in low-income and minority communities. It's characterized by:

• Abundance of fast-food outlets and convenience stores
• Lack of grocery stores with fresh produce
• Limited transportation options to reach healthy food sources

Health impacts:

• Higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases in affected communities
• Malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies, even in overweight individuals
• Cognitive and developmental issues in children due to poor nutrition

Socioeconomic factors:

• Targeted marketing of unhealthy foods to minority communities
• Higher relative cost of healthy foods compared to processed options
• Limited resources and time for meal preparation in low-income households

Solutions:

1. Implement policies to incentivize grocery stores in underserved areas
2. Support community gardens and urban farming initiatives
3. Provide nutrition education and cooking classes in affected communities
4. Increase SNAP benefits and incentivize purchase of fresh produce
5. Address underlying systemic racism and economic inequalities

6. Our agricultural practices are depleting soil, water, and biodiversity

At the current rate of soil erosion, we have only sixty harvests left before our soil is too depleted to grow food.

Soil degradation: Industrial agriculture practices are rapidly depleting our topsoil through:

• Intensive tilling
• Monocropping
• Overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides

Water scarcity: Agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater use, often inefficiently:

• Depletion of aquifers faster than they can be replenished
• Pollution of water sources with agricultural runoff

Biodiversity loss:

• 75% of crop diversity has been lost in the last century
• Pollinators, crucial for food production, are declining due to pesticide use
• Monocultures are more vulnerable to pests and diseases

Climate impact: Current agricultural practices contribute significantly to climate change through:

• Deforestation for farmland
• Methane emissions from livestock
• Carbon release from tilled soil

Urgency for change: Without immediate action to adopt sustainable practices, we face:

• Reduced ability to produce food
• Increased vulnerability to climate shocks
• Further loss of crucial ecosystems and species

7. Regenerative agriculture offers hope for reversing climate change

Regenerative agriculture aims to capture carbon in soil and aboveground biomass, reversing current global trends of atmospheric accumulation.

Principles of regenerative agriculture:

1. Minimize soil disturbance (no-till farming)
2. Keep soil covered (cover crops)
3. Maintain living roots in soil
4. Maximize crop diversity
5. Integrate livestock

Benefits:

• Soil health: Increases organic matter and microbial diversity
• Water retention: Improves soil's ability to hold water, reducing irrigation needs
• Carbon sequestration: Draws down atmospheric carbon into the soil
• Biodiversity: Supports diverse ecosystems above and below ground
• Resilience: Crops are more resistant to pests, diseases, and climate extremes
• Yield: Can produce higher yields than conventional farming

Economic advantages:

• Reduced input costs (fertilizers, pesticides)
• Increased farm profitability
• More stable yields in face of climate variability

Scaling up: To make a significant impact, we need:

1. Policy support: Incentives for farmers to transition to regenerative practices
2. Research funding: To refine and adapt techniques for different regions
3. Consumer awareness: Demand for products from regenerative farms
4. Corporate commitment: Large food companies sourcing from regenerative agriculture

Potential impact: If widely adopted, regenerative agriculture could:

• Sequester billions of tons of carbon annually
• Reverse desertification and restore degraded landscapes
• Significantly reduce agriculture's contribution to climate change

Last updated: October 25, 2024