Bread for the World Institute
Listen: Dec. 2012: HIV/AIDS in Uganda and St. Francis Health Care Services
The Institute's new report — Rebalancing Act: Updating U.S. Food and Farm Policies — argues that U.S. farm policies need to shift toward production of healthy foods. We say bluntly that current farm policies are doing a poor job of contributing to a healthy food system. There is too much support for ingredients used to produce cheap junk foods, and not enough support for foods that promote good health.
The greater share of government support to the farm sector goes to the biggest producers. Smaller producers and producers of healthy foods — i.e., fruits and vegetables — get little or no support. It's been this way for decades, but Americans are expressing more concern than ever about what we're eating and what we're getting for our tax dollars to the farm sector.
The local food movement, with its emphasis on "smaller is better," is helping to reshape the farm policy debate. Farm policies are not solely to blame for Americans' low consumption of fruits and vegetables — but U.S. farms don't even produce enough healthy foods for our population to get its recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals. We need to ask, what are farm policies really trying to accomplish?
Hunger and Poverty Facts
Did you Know? Most Americans (51.4 percent) will live in poverty at some point before age 65.Current Research Areas
The Institute provides policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it.Briefing Papers
Our research provide substantial information on everything from child nutrition programs to the Millennium Development Goals.Strengthening the U.S. Role in Accelerating Progress
The U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) generated unprecedented levels of commitment to cut poverty and disease, improve access to education and health, and promote gender equity and environmental sustainability.
Progress on the MDGs is a mixed bag, particularly in Africa, where many of the targets will not be met.
With a focused strategy, based on measurable results, the United States can redouble its efforts to accelerate progress on the MDGs.
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