Blog 4

Farmer-In-Chief

Explain ways in which Pollan believes the old approach to boosting food production will not work? Why does Pollan feel a complete reform to food policy is needed? How does he link food policy to health care spending?

Pollan believes the old approach will not work for multiple reasons. Among these reasons are its dependence on the finite energy of fossil fuels and the fact that it relies heavily on pesticides and fertilizer. He feels a complete reform is needed because the policies that are in place right now are the reason why the system is as broken as it is, and, unless we create an entirely new food policy, we won't be able to make any real significant progress in moving away from a food system so reliant on fossil fuels which we now know we have a limited amount of. He links food policy to health care spending by comparing the 8% decrease in food spending in the average household since the 1960s to the 11% increase in health care spending. He also discusses how many of the top diseases that kill Americans are linked to their diet.

How Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the Environmental and Human

Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture

How has adopting more Western approaches to agriculture affected the environment and human health in developing countries? Discuss biodiversity and the issues surrounding it within the Westernized agricultural system. What are some alternatives or more sustainable methods to industrialized agriculture? How do urban areas play a part?

Adopting more Western approaches to agriculture means the consumption of a lot more meat for developing countries. This also means an increase in the consumption of unhealthy fats and the antibiotics which are used in the livestock which can often mean an increase in Type II Diabetes, cancer, and other diseases. China, for example, has doubled its meat consumption and is now seeing a change in the diseases affecting its population. Western approaches to agriculture practices have also created environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, and diminishing biodiversity. Biodiversity is an important part of agriculture because it develops new plant species which helps deter plant viruses but, within the Westernized system, the practice of monocropping aids insects, pests, and plant diseases. Crop rotation, cover crops, integrated pest management and soil management are examples of sustainable alternative.