Cornucopia : Understanding Health through Understanding Agriculture

Cornucopia explores the nutritional and economic implications of U.S. farm policy. Johnson questions whether current farm practices and the government programs that support them have contributed to the poor health of many Americans. He discusses what this implication means as we feed a growing population amidst rising dietary disease.

Cornucopia explores the health and economic implications of U.S. farm policy. Using a corn farm in rural South Dakota as his starting point, Johnson reviews the history of agricultural policies in America to understand how large-scale, industrial agriculture came to play such a large role in U.S. and world food production. He also discusses the role of agricultural policies in the on-going "food for fuel" debate, as well as the linkages between agricultural outputs and health outcomes. As the U.S. battles with a burgeoning epidemic of dietary disease - including some of the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in the developed world - it is especially important to understand where our food comes from and its relation to health, nutrition, and economic mobility. Ensuring America''s health and well-being requires us to first return to the farm.