What is the farm bill? What significance does it have for what I eat?
The Farm Bill is a large, comprehensive piece of legislation that authorizes a variety of food assistance programs along with an array of farm and environmental policies. The Farm Bill is being reauthorized in 2007, and it has received significant attention because of its potential impact on the American diet. In its current form, the Farm Bill includes a subsidy program that pays farmers to grow certain crops, such as corn. Many scientists and health experts contend that making corn cheaper to grow drives up the production of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is a sweetener derived from corn. Similarly, corn-based feed for cattle also becomes cheaper. In this way, the government is by extension subsidizing the production of meat (a principal source of saturated fat in Americans’ diets) and junk foods sweetened with HFCS through the Farm Bill. For these reasons, many people are calling for changes in the Farm Bill that would support the production of healthier foods for Americans.
