Food politics : what everyone needs to know / Robert Paarlberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Paarlberg, Robert L., author.

Contributor:

ebrary, Inc.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Agriculture and state.

Food supply.

Food--Marketing.

Food.

Nutrition policy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xv, 260 pages)

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2013]

System Details:

text file

Contents:

1 An Overview of Food Politics 1

What is food politics? 1

Is food politics driven by material interests or by social values? 2

Is food politics a global or a local phenomenon? 4

Who are the most important actors in food politics? 6

Has the politics of food and agriculture recently been changing? 7

2 Food Production and Population Growth 9

Who was Thomas Malthus, and why did he see hunger as inevitable? 9

Was Malthus ever influential? 10

Are Malthusians still influential? 12

Can we feed a growing population without doing irreversible damage to the environment? 13

Is Africa facing an eco-Malthusian food crisis today? 14

Do Malthusians try to reduce population growth? 15

Do Malthusians argue that we should reduce food consumption? 17

3 The Politics of High Food Prices 18

When did high food prices become a political issue? 18

What caused these spikes in international food prices? 19

How many people became hungry when prices spiked in 2007-2008? 21

Do international food price spikes cause violent conflict? 23

Have higher food prices triggered "land grabs" in Africa? 24

Have subsidies and mandates for biofuels contributed to higher international food prices? 26

Have higher international prices become a permanent feature of food politics? 28

4 The Politics of Chronic Hunger and Famine 31

How do we measure hunger? 37

How many people around the world remain chronically undernourished? 32

What causes chronic undernutrition? 34

Does chronic hunger trigger political unrest? 35

Is chronic undernutrition a problem in the United States? 36

Do developing countries have policy remedies for chronic undernutrition? 39

What is the difference between undernutrition and famine? 41

When have famines taken place? 42

What causes famines? 42

How do famines end? 45

What has been the most successful international response to famine? 46

Can famine be prevented? 47

5 Food Aid and Agricultural Development Assistance 49

What is international food aid? 49

Which countries get food aid? 50

Do rich countries give food aid to dispose of their surplus production? 51

Why are America's food aid policies so difficult to change? 52

Does food aid create dependence or hurt farmers in recipient countries? 54

Do governments seek coercive power from food aid? 56

How is agricultural development assistance different from food aid? 57

How much international assistance do rich countries provide for agricultural development? 59

Which agencies operate United States agricultural development assistance? 60

Who benefits from agricultural development assistance? 61

6 The Green Revolution Controversy 64

What was the green revolution? 64

Why is the green revolution controversial? 65

Did the green revolution end hunger? 67

Did the green revolution lead to greater rural inequality? 69

Was the green revolution bad for the environment? 71

Why did the original green revolution not reach Africa? 73

What farming approaches do green revolution critics favor? 75

How have green revolution critics shaped international policy? 78

7 The Politics of Obesity 81

Is the world facing an obesity crisis? 81

How do we measure obesity? 81

What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic? 82

What is me cause of today's obesity epidemic? 84

Does cheap food cause obesity? 85

Do fast foods and junk foods cause obesity? 87

Is the food industry to blame for the way we eat? 88

Do "food deserts" cause obesity? 91

What government actions are being taken to reverse the obesity crisis? 93

Who lobbies for and against stronger policies on obesity? 97

8 The Politics of Farm Subsidies and Trade 100

Do all governments give subsidies to farmers? 100

What explains the tendency of all rich countries to subsidize farm income? 101

Do farmers in rich countries need subsidies to survive? 102

Why are farm subsidies hard to cut? 103

What is the "farm bill" and what is the "farm lobby"? 105

Is the use of corn for ethanol a subsidy to farmers? 107

What is the value of promoting corn-based ethanol in the United States? 108

How do farm subsidies shape international agricultural trade? 110

Has the WTO been able to discipline farm subsidies? 111

Do trade agreements like NAFTA hurt farmers in counties like Mexico? 113

9 Farming, the Environment, Climate Change, and Water 116

Does agriculture always damage the environment? 116

What kind of farming is environmentally sustainable? 118

What is low-impact or "precision" farming? 121

Do fragile lands, population growth, and poverty make farming unsustainable? 123

Do cash crops and export crops cause environmental harm? 125

Do farm subsidies promote environmental damage in agriculture? 126

How will climate change affect food production? 128

Does agriculture contribute to climate change? 131

Is the world running out of water to irrigate crops? 133

What can be done to improve water management in farming? 134

10 Livestock, Meat, and Fish 137

How are farm animals different torn crops? 137

Is meat consumption increasing, or not? 138

Is a vegetarian diet healthier? 140

If people in rich counties ate less meat, would hunger be reduced in poor counties? 141

What are CAFOs? 142

Are CAFOs bad for animal welfare? 143

What else generates opposition to CAFOs? 145

How important are fish as a source of food? 148

Are wild fisheries collapsing? 149

Is fish farming a solution? 151

11 Agribusiness, Supermarkets, and Fast Food 153

What does the word "agribusiness" mean? 153

Why is agribusiness controversial? 154

Do agribusiness firms control farmers? 155

Do food companies and supermarkets control consumers? 159

Are supermarkets spreading into developing counties? 160

Is Wal-Mart taking over food retailing in Africa and India? 162

Are fast food restaurant chains spreading unhealthy eating habits worldwide? 163

12 Organic and Local Food 166

What is organic food? 166

What is the history of organic food? 167

How is organic food regulated in the United States? 168

Is most organic food grown on small farms? 169

Is organic food more nutritious and safe? 171

Is organic farming better for the environment? 173

Could today's world be fed with organically grown food? 175

What is the local food movement? 176

What explains the growing market for local food? 177

What is urban agriculture? 180

Does local food help slow climate change? 181

What is the difference between local food and slow food? 182

What explains the loyalty of some groups to organic, local, or slow food? 182

13 Food Safety and Genetically Engineered Foods 184

How safe is America's food supply? 184

How do foods become contaminated? 186

Who regulates food contamination in the United States? 188

Is food safety an issue in international trade? 189

Does the industialization of agriculture make food less safe? 191

Is irradiated food safe? 191

What is genetically modified food? 192

How are genetically engineered foods regulated? 193

How widespread are genetically engineered foods? 195

Why do some people resist GMOs? 196

Do genetically engineered crops strengthen corporate control? 198

Are GMO foods and crops safe? 200

Could genetically engineered crops provide benefits to small farmers in developing countries? 202

14 Who Governs the World Food System? 205

Is there a single world food system? 205

How do national governments exercise control? 206

Which are the most important international organizations in the food and farming sector? 207

What has limited the influence of international organizations? 211

Do multinational corporations control the world food system? 214

How much power do non-governmental organizations have? 216

What Is the role of private foundations? 218

15 The Future of Food Politics 220

In the future, will obesity continue to replace hunger as the world's most serious food problem? 220

In the future, will food and farming systems become more localized or more globalized? 221

In the future, will the spread of affluent eating habits destroy the natural environment? 223

In the future, will the politics of food remain contentious? 224.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Electronic reproduction. Palo Alto, Calif. : ebrary, 2013. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ebrary affiliated libraries.

OCLC:

857059448

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.