Less Than 1% Of American Cropland Is Organic

From:
America's Food Crisis and How to Fix It, Time, August 20, 2009

To be able to eat organic food is a privilege:

"According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), less than 1% of American cropland is farmed organically. Sustainable food is also pricier than conventional food and harder to find."

To be able to eat organic food that is also locally grown, is to be part of an elite group indeed.

To be able to eat lots of fruits and vegetables is a privilege:

"Fruits and vegetables don't receive the same price supports as grains. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of potato chips or 875 calories of soda but just 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit.

With the backing of the government, farmers are producing more calories — some 500 more per person per day since the 1970s — but too many are unhealthy calories. Given that, it's no surprise we're so fat; it simply costs too much to be thin."

This is one reason why obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions are as much a result of social, political, and economic factors as they are a result of personal choice.
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