By Peter A. Coclanis, WSJ. Mr. Coclanis is professor of history and director of the Global Research Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Excerpts:
"the U.S. is the economic power it is today in large part because of the historical success of its agricultural sector, which was organized along market lines almost from the start—directed by enterprising, commercially-minded farmers operating in a system that protected and promoted private property rights."
"The largest 4% of U.S. farms account for two-thirds of farm output, and the largest 0.5% account for a third as much."
"Americans spend less than 10% of their disposable income on food, according to U.S. Agriculture Department data, while others in many developed countries—including the Netherlands, Belgium, France and New Zealand—spend at least twice that. People in less developed countries spend four to eight times as much."
"Given the high quality of American logistics, fresh, tasty food produced by large agricultural enterprises is readily available almost everywhere in the country, even if it is produced thousands of miles away."
"the “negative externalities” are often exaggerated, such as when they don’t take into consideration the taxes these enterprises—or the taxes consumers of their foodstuffs—pay. In any event, it would be nice if critics acknowledged that inexpensive food frees income that is saved and invested,"
"Many locals point reverently to food journalist and guru Michael Pollan, who suggested in 2010 that we eat less and pay more, specifically, $8 for a dozen eggs and $3.90 for a pound of peaches in order to support local food systems. I wonder if the 45.3 million Americans living beneath the poverty line—14.5% of the country’s population and almost 18% of North Carolina’s—agree.
The organic sector, while growing, accounted for only 4% of “at home food sales” in 2012"
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