News coverage focused on food's public health impacts has exploded recently. Current investigations into obesity and mad cow disease in particular have exposed problems in food production and farm policy. Almost certainly, these crises create a potential "seat at the table" for public health groups in forthcoming negotiations on the Farm Bill, the statue that determines federal agriculture programs. To fully act on this opportunity, collaboration and consensus needs development among family farmers, sustainable agriculture organizations and the public health officials and workers.

We believe the outcome, if successful, will result in long-needed reforms of some deeply entrenched Farm Bill provisions, improving farm viability, environmental benefits and public health.

As the public health sector becomes more involved with farm policy, Environment and Ag builds on this collective momentum to promote reform of key provisions in national farm legislation. Public health's involvement will strengthen work already done by sustainable agriculture and environmental organizations by promoting:

1. Fair prices for commodities.
2. Market-based policy tools to help reduce excessive production of commodities potentially detrimental to public health (such as hydrogenated fats and sweeteners).
3. Existing Farm Bill provisions with proven public health benefits.

To promote true change in the Farm Bill, we first need a common vision of what the policy goals should be. The goals must come from a diverse and knowledgeable group of stakeholders including farmers and experts in public health, nutrition, farm policy, the environment and rural development. Food and farm policies would be crafted to meet these goals.

Environment and Agriculture envisions a multi-year process of research, consensus building, strategy development and outreach.

1. Research: Many U.S. agriculture policies have significant side effects that receive little attention. The relationship between commodity policies and rising obesity rates, for example, has hardly been explored. Identifying and quantifying these ancillary impacts of farm policy will be the primary focus of research. Part of the reason for conducting this research will be to convince the diversity of stakeholders that they need to look at these policies in a much more holistic perspective than is traditional. This will provide a foundation for farm-friendly public health policy.

Another aspect of our research is analyzing price discrepancies between "junk" foods and whole foods. People choose among certain foods for a variety of reasons including taste, cooking skills and cultural preferences. But the fact that junk foods are much cheaper on a per-calorie basis is also an important factor, particularly for low-income families. Five dollars at a fast food restaurant buys many more calories in hamburgers and french fries than it does in salad.

E&A conducts studies in a number of communities across the country identifying food costs, emphasizing the discrepancy between junk foods and healthy foods. This research provides a public opening to discuss some of the food system's structural problems that allow these discrepancies to occur.

2. Consensus-building: Our goal is to work with stakeholders and experts to fashion a consensus statement on what an agricultural policy serving both goals of sustainability and public health would look like. We also plan to work with luminaries in the agriculture, nutrition and public health communities to sign onto this consensus statement, which we will then distribute to the public and to policymakers. After extensive meetings and discussion, our stakeholder groups will agree on a select number of key issue areas within the Farm Bill on which we must act collectively to help make progress towards this vision of a new agricultural policy.

3. Outreach: Outreach encourages a shift in how we think about our farm policy. It is intended to convince a wide array of stakeholders—including policy makers, media and professionals in public health, economic development, and agriculture—that family farm viability and public health are inextricably linked.

Food Versus Fuel in the United States: Can Both Win in the Era of Ethanol: This report explores the effect of U.S. ethanol production on the world's hungry. October 2007 | MARK MULLER, TAMMY YELDON AND HEATHER SCHOONOVER | PDF

A Fair Farm Bill for Conservation: This paper analyzes the history of conservation programs in the Farm Bill and makes recommendations for improving them.SEPTEMBER  2007 | IATP | PDF

Water Use by Ethanol Plants: Potential Challenges: The shortage of available water could become the Achilles heel of the ethanol boom if more efficient use of water isn't made a priority.OCTOBER 2006 | DR. DENNIS KEENEY AND MARK MULLER/IATP | PDF

Food Without Thought: How U.S. Farm Policy Contributes to Obesity : U.S. farm policy geared towards driving down prices for corn and soybeans is a significant contributor to the nation's obesity epidemic.APRIL 2006 | MARK MULLER AND HEATHER SCHOONOVER | PDF