Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic

Perrin, Caroline; Grandi, Sonia M.; Eisenberg, Mark J.

doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2013.04.010

Cited by 67 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Many countries provide producer-end subsidies for grain crops and meat/dairy, incentivizing farmers to grow these items while dis-incentivizing FV production. In the U.S., the commodity crops receiving the largest amount of agricultural subsidies are grains, livestock, and dairy and under current agricultural policy, farmers are penalized for growing “specialty crops” (FV) if they have received federal farm payments to grow other crops [13], [14]. As a result, grains, meat, and dairy are abundant [15], the supply of FV, at least in the US, is insufficient to meet population needs [16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do We Produce Enough Fruits and Vegetables to Meet Global Health Need?

et al. 2014

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BackgroundLow fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is a leading risk factor for chronic disease globally, but much of the world’s population does not consume the recommended servings of FV daily. It remains unknown whether global supply of FV is sufficient to meet current and growing population needs. We sought to determine whether supply of FV is sufficient to meet current and growing population needs, globally and in individual countries.Methods and FindingsWe used global data on agricultural production and population size to compare supply of FV in 2009 with population need, globally and in individual countries. We found that the global supply of FV falls, on average, 22% short of population need according to nutrition recommendations (supply:need ratio: 0.78 [Range: 0.05–2.01]). This ratio varies widely by country income level, with a median supply:need ratio of 0.42 and 1.02 in low-income and high-income countries, respectively. A sensitivity analysis accounting for need-side food wastage showed similar insufficiency, to a slightly greater extent (global supply:need ratio: 0.66, varying from 0.37 [low-income countries] to 0.77 [high-income countries]). Using agricultural production and population projections, we also estimated supply and need for FV for 2025 and 2050. Assuming medium fertility and projected growth in agricultural production, the global supply:need ratio for FV increases slightly to 0.81 by 2025 and to 0.88 by 2050, with similar patterns seen across country income levels. In a sensitivity analysis assuming no change from current levels of FV production, the global supply:need ratio for FV decreases to 0.66 by 2025 and to 0.57 by 2050.ConclusionThe global nutrition and agricultural communities need to find innovative ways to increase FV production and consumption to meet population health needs, particularly in low-income countries.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do We Produce Enough Fruits and Vegetables to Meet Global Health Need?

et al. 2014

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“…The main arguments against farm policies playing a role are: (i) subsidies have a mixed effect on the prices and production outputs of various food items (33,34,36) ; (ii) the impacts on commodity prices offer savings to the food industry, but have little effect on food costs at retail and even less on those prices passed on to consumers (35) ; (iii) food consumption is relatively unresponsive to changes in market prices and so the very small food price changes induced by farm subsidies could not have had large effects on food consumption patterns (34) ; and (iv) food consumption has not previously changed markedly in response to policy-induced adjustments in relative prices (32) . However, ecological studies and public health commentaries suggest that farm policies do matter for health (12,13,(37)(38)(39) . Since agricultural policy changes in the 1970s (the origin for today's policies), food supplythe amount of energy available to the population -has increased from 9075 kJ (2169 kcal)/person per d in 1970 to 10 853 kJ (2594 kcal)/person per d in 2009 (40) , with the largest increase seen in refined grains (782 kJ (187 kcal)) and added fats and oils (703 kJ (168 kcal)).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The contribution of subsidized food commodities to total energy intake among US adults

Siegel

Bullard

Ali

et al. 2015

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: The contribution of subsidized food commodities to total food consumption is unknown. We estimated the proportion of individual energy intake from food commodities receiving the largest subsidies from 1995 to 2010 (corn, soyabeans, wheat, rice, sorghum, dairy and livestock). Design: Integrating information from three federal databases (MyPyramid Equivalents, Food Intakes Converted to Retail Commodities, and What We Eat in America) with data from the 2001-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, we computed a Subsidy Score representing the percentage of total energy intake from subsidized commodities. We examined the score's distribution and the probability of having a 'high' (≥70th percentile) v. 'low' (≤30th percentile) score, across the population and subgroups, using multivariate logistic regression. Setting: Community-dwelling adults in the USA. Subjects: Participants (n 11 811) aged 18-64 years. Results: Median Subsidy Score was 56·7 % (interquartile range 47·2-65·4 %). Younger, less educated, poorer, and Mexican Americans had higher scores. After controlling for covariates, age, education and income remained independently associated with the score: compared with individuals aged 55-64 years, individuals aged 18-24 years had a 50 % higher probability of having a high score (P <0·0001). Individuals reporting less than high-school education had 21 % higher probability of having a high score than individuals reporting college completion or higher (P = 0·003); individuals in the lowest tertile of income had an 11 % higher probability of having a high score compared with individuals in the highest tertile (P = 0·02). Conclusions: Over 50 % of energy in US diets is derived from federally subsidized commodities. Keywords Dietary intake Subsidized food commodities Obesity Diabetes National Health and Nutrition Examination SurveysIn the USA, 26 % and 14 % of mortality and disabilityadjusted life years, respectively, are related to our dietary patterns (1) . Traditionally, diets high in total energy, refined carbohydrates, and red and processed meats have been implicated in the development of obesity, diabetes and common co-morbidities, particularly CVD (2)(3)(4) , while diets high in fruit and vegetables are associated with reduced risks (5,6) . Currently, more than one-third (36 %) of American adults are obese (7) and 12 % have diabetes (8) , while heart disease is the leading cause of death (9) . Finding suitable policy interventions that positively influence the nation's diet and resulting cardiometabolic health has been challenging. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and US Department of Health and Human Services set nutritional recommendations that encourage consumption of diets high in fruits and vegetables and lower in energy, sugar, salt and saturated fat, but a recent report suggests that the majority of Americans do not meet these dietary guidelines (10) . Moreover, current US agricultural policies promote the production of refined grains, dairy and meat products. Fro...

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“…Throughout the United States there has been a rise in the number of claims contending that prominent economic, environmental, and social inequity exists within the conventional food system (Franck, Grandi, and Eisenberg 2013;Guy, Clarke, and Eyre 2004;Krieg 2014;Morland et al 2002;Schafft, Jensen, and Hinrichs 2009). Researchers have suggested that pronounced differences exist between various populations in access to food (Brown and Getz 2011;Chung and Myers 1999;Drewnowski et al 2014;Walker, Keane, and Burke 2010) and the nutritional quality available at specific outlets (Block, Scribner, and DeSalvo 2004;Morland, Diez Roux, and Wing 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultivating Better Food Access? The Role of Farmers' Markets in the U.S. Local Food Movement

Schupp

2016

Rural Sociology

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The local food movement has grown substantially in the United States in recent years. Proponents have hailed this growth as a shift away from a conventional food system rife with inequality toward one that introduces more just outcomes for society. While the movement's development and popularity have proliferated, little research has examined nationally how successful it is at delivering on its promises. By combining the social movement and food system literatures with quantitative methodology, this article examines the accessibility of the farmers' market across the United States. Using multivariate logistic regression, the analysis focuses on several identifying characteristics of individuals within and characteristics of neighborhoods across the United States to explore what increases (or decreases) the likelihood of a farmers' market being located within their boundaries. The results suggest that several social, economic, and racial differences exist between those living in areas with farmers' markets and those in areas that do not. Additionally, the analysis found that several neighborhood characteristics significantly influence the likelihood of a farmers’ market being present, including a neighborhood's socioeconomic status, the quality of neighborhood infrastructure, participation rates in social support programs, and the prevalence of poverty. In addition to posing questions of accessibility for the local food movement this research contributes to our understanding of grassroots social movements by examining the avenues and potential limitations that they negotiate while ensuring their stated goals are reached.

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Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic

Cited by 67 publications

References 25 publications

Do We Produce Enough Fruits and Vegetables to Meet Global Health Need?

Do We Produce Enough Fruits and Vegetables to Meet Global Health Need?

The contribution of subsidized food commodities to total energy intake among US adults

Cultivating Better Food Access? The Role of Farmers' Markets in the U.S. Local Food Movement

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