ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces economic principles for thinking about environmental externalities; and summarizes five environmental dilemmas in United States (US) food production. It gives an overview of the global food situation, including trends in food needs and environmental constraints on global food production. The chapter reviews current policies to address environmental challenges in the US food system; and discusses the contemporary explosion of interest in organic and locally grown food. The four parts of the global food equation are population growth, food consumption, food waste and increasing food production. Many environmental laws and regulations affect agriculture and food production. Climate change is the most serious environmental challenge for the US food system. It imposes on the US food system the twin burdens of adaptation and mitigation. The chapter reviews many ways in which decisions by food producers have consequences for other people and the natural environment.
