Agriculture Policy & Public Health >> Agriculture Policy & Obesity

Agriculture policy helps drive decisions about what crops are grown, and influences the market price of each crop. U.S. agriculture policy does little to promote production of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, but contains many incentives that lead to overproduction and low prices for sweets, fats and meats, and thus contributes to the obesity epidemic.

Recommended resources on this topic:

Reports & Other Documents

Addressing Obesity and Health Disparities Through Federal Nutrition and Agricultural Policy

American Public Health Association position paper; Nov. 6, 2007.

Toward A Healthy, Sustainable Food System

American Public Health Association position paper; Nov. 6, 2007.

Perspectives on Food and Farm Policy

Special issue of Amber Waves (USDA journal), May 2007.

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Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

Socio-economic characteristics and the effect of taxation as a health policy instrument

S. Smed, et al. Food Pol, October-December 2007.

Cheap food policy: Fact or rhetoric?

J.C. Miller and K.H. Coblea. Food Pol, February 2007.

The Real Contribution of Added Sugars and Fats to Obesity

A. Drewnowski. Epidemiol Rev, 2007.

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Relevant Organizations

American Public Health Association

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Farm and Food Policy Project

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Additional Tools & Resources

Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization

R. Manning. North Point Press: New York, 2004.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publications.

Farm Subsidies Database

Environmental Working Group.

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