Domestic production of high-value, nutrient-dense crops has long been on the decline in the United States, with the majority of our acreage shifting to livestock feed and fuel production. Despite having nearly one billion acres of farmland and a population of only 330 million, the U.S. is increasingly dependent on imports for its supplies of produce, legumes, and whole grains, driving an agricultural trade deficit.
How have these key performance metrics of our food system changed under the most recent 2018 Farm Bill? How many acres of American food crops have been replaced by imports? And what would it take to balance the U.S. agricultural trade deficit by increasing the production of higher-value food crops?
At the release of our new research, paper author Alison Grantham, PhD, of Grow Well Consulting answered these questions. Farm Action Fund president Joe Maxwell then set out the 2023 and 2028 Farm Bill policies that will support the shift towards Food, Not Feed.
Watch the video of the full event on our YouTube channel here.
