- Industrial Livestock Production
- Industrial Crop Production
- Impacts of Industrial Agriculture
- Biofuels
- Seafood
- Food Policy & Economics
Also known as factory farms, industrial livestock operations produce the majority of US meat, eggs, and dairy products. Find out why they're awful.
The term "industrial crop" generally refers to an agricultural product that is grown as a commodity and/or as the raw material for industrial goods, rather than for direct human consumption. However, many food crops are also grown in an intensive, industrial manner. Some of the hallmarks of industrial crop production include monocropping, intensive application of commercial fertilizers, heavy use of pesticides, and reliance on genetically engineered seeds. Learn how industrial crop production degrades the environment and impairs human health.
Industrial crop and livestock production damages the environment, threatens human health, degrades rural communities, harms workers, and compromises animal welfare. These pages provide detailed information, along with resources for promoting a sustainable alternative.
Biofuels are derived from living or recently living material that has been converted to liquid fuel to be used in engines, cars or trucks. Ethanol and biodiesel are currently commercially available, while cellulosic ethanol remains in the research and development phase. Learn why some are not a sustainable alternative and why others might be more environmentally friendly.
With many popular wild fish populations depleted and much fish farming done in an unsustainable manner, the decision about what seafood to eat can be difficult. Adding to these existing challenges, more than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States has been imported from other countries, often from places with questionable health, safety, environmental and labor standards. However, by asking restaurants and markets about where their fish comes from and how it was caught or farmed, it is possible for concerned consumers to find healthy and sustainable seafood.
In the last several decades, the economics of the food system have changed dramatically. Millions of farms have folded as government policy has encouraged larger, more intensive farm operations, such as the factory farm model for producing meat, eggs and dairy. A handful of corporations now dominate most aspects of the food system, giving them enormous power to control markets and pricing, and enabling them to influence food and agricultural regulations. The largest of these agribusinesses are practically monopolies, controlling what consumers get to eat, what they pay for groceries and what prices farmers receive for their crops and livestock. Politicians and government officials are fond of saying the U.S. has the safest and most affordable food supply in the world, thanks to the rules and regulations they have created. In reality, current policies and regulations fail to address many of the underlying problems in agriculture. Learn about the policies that determine what we eat - and what you can do to improve them.
GRACE Communications Foundation
Food Economics
Policy & Regulation
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