Food (In)security and the US

Though the US contributes substantially to programs that reduce food insecurity, removing agricultural subsidies may do even more to correct market imbalances that prevent poor countries from investing in agricultural products that benefit their populations in both nutrition and as exports.  US agricultural policies have radically changed in the past decade to combat food insecurity in the US, such as funding programs to reduce food deserts, and subsidizing healthier lunches for school children, but large scale subsidies remain.  A G20 report explained, “Policies that distort production and trade in agricultural commodities potentially impede the achievement of long run food security, by stimulating or conserving production in areas where it would not occur and by distorting, obscuring or impeding the transmission of price signals to competitive producers elsewhere” (p. 24).

G20, 2011.  “Price Volatility in Food and Agricultural Markets: Policy Reponses.”  G20 Policy Report, 2 June 2011.  Downloaded from: http://www.foodsecurityportal.org/sites/default/files/g20_interagency_report_food_price_volatility.pdf [31 October 2016]

Obesity and Environmental Health

According to the WHO Country Profile for the United State, not only does the United States score highly on most measures of health, the US performs better on health measures than other countries in the region.  There is one exception: obesity rates for both men and women are higher in the US, than for the WHO region.  According to the WHO, 87 percent of deaths in the US are from non-communicable diseases, which can be attributed to a variety of behaviors, including smoking (16%) and physical inactivity (43%); since 1980, “body mass index has increased; and glucose levels have risen” (WHO, 2011).  Many public health officials have argued that the fix to these problems lies not in blaming the individual, but by promoting access to healthy foods and by redesigning communities to encourage active, healthy life styles (Dannenberg, Frumkin, and Jackson, 2012).

Dannenberg, A. L., Frumkin, H., and Jackson, R.J., 2012.  Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability.  Washington, DC: Island Press.

WHO, 2011.  “WHO maps noncommunicable disease trends in all countries.”  News Release.  14 September.  URL: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2011/NCDs_profiles_20110914/en/ [downloaded October 26, 2016]

Social Integration and Sustainability

Nothing brings out divisiveness like an election.  The current US presidential election takes the cake.  The New York Times article “Teaching Seventh Grade in a ‘Total Mess’ of an Election Season,” highlights some of the divisions: gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin.  The environment has been largely sidelined in presidential debates, because social discord has become a priority.  No justice, no peace [and no sustainability.]