Policies supporting biofuels, organic agriculture and small farms may be putting food security at risk. That’s the premise of a new book written by Sandstone, Minnesota native Richard Sexton called Food Fight. Sexton, who is an ag economics professor at the University of California-Davis, says government policy favors less productive farming practices. “Organic stands at the top of that list; no one can deny it. If you convert an acre to organic, you’re going to get substantially lower yield.” Sexton argues consumers may have well-intended intentions to support the local foods movement or initiatives like California’s Proposition 12. “The people who think they’re benefiting the environment with all of these things are really not benefiting the environment; produce food where it is most efficient to produce it using the most efficient technologies, you’ll maximize food production and minimize harm to the environment.” The book is called Food Fight: Misguided Policies, Supply Challenges and the Impending Struggle to Feed a Hungry World. Learn more about the book in this RRFN interview.
