ABSTRACT
It is exciting and diverse. It is changing quickly. It relies on the weather, uses an incredible array of technology, is tied in every way to our natural resources, and embraces the world. If you eat, you are involved in it as a consumer of its fi nal products. If you farm, you are involved in it as a producer of the raw materials that ultimately make their way to the end consumer. It is the extremely effi cient, very complex, global, food and fi ber production and marketing system.
