Panel, Conference Presentation
Transitioning to a Food Environment Built for Health | Milken Institute Global Conference 2023
Milken InstituteAllison Aubrey, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Nancy Dalton, Anthony Pratt, Craig Wichner, Dr. Kathleen Medina, Elizabeth Littlefield Jr., Eliza Bailey
- Core Theme: The panel frames the discussion on transitioning to a health-promoting food environment using a dual approach: first generating "outrage" at systemic failures, then offering "inspiration" through actionable solutions and existing momentum.
- Outrage Data Points:
- One in two children in the U.S. does not eat a single vegetable on a given day (CDC data).
- Over 600,000 people die annually in the U.S. from diet-related chronic diseases.
- 13.5 million American households face food insecurity, a number rising with inflation.
- 30% of America's food production is unsold or uneaten, rotting in landfills.
- Tens of millions of people, including nearly 10 million children, rely on food assistance networks like Feeding America despite the U.S. being the "richest country in history."
- Climate and Waste Impacts:
- Food waste in landfills emits methane, which is 84 times more potent than CO2; if treated as a country, this would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter globally.
- Food waste accounts for roughly one-third of all carbon emissions.
- Pratt Industries reports that diverting one ton of material from landfill avoids three tons of CO2 emissions.
- Agricultural Production Trends:
- 53% of U.S. farmland grows only two commodity crops: corn and soy.
- 40% of the corn crop is used for ethanol; 40% for livestock feed; 12% for high-fructose corn syrup; only 0.66% is consumed directly by humans.
- Commodity corn farming generates approximately $1,000 gross revenue per acre, with lease rates around $300.
- Organic and regenerative farming can generate $3,000 to $5,000 revenue per acre, with lease rates rising to $750.
- Only 3% of U.S. farmland utilizes cover crops to sequester carbon and improve soil health.
- Policy and Farm Bill Proposals:
- Craig Wischner (Farmland LP): Proposes a "check-the-box" program in the Farm Bill to pay farmers $25–$50 per acre for planting cover crops, leveraging satellite verification to sequester 0.5 to 1 ton of carbon per acre annually.
- Claire Babineau-Fontenot (Feeding America): Advocates reducing administrative friction to make SNAP access easier and increasing conformity across jurisdictions.
- Nancy Dalton (Amazon): Proposes making the SNAP online purchasing pilot permanent and including "school meals for all children" to eliminate lunch shaming and ensure universal access.
- Anthony Pratt (Pratt Industries): Suggests integrating vegetable consumption into health insurance coverage as a preventative health incentive.
- Nutrition Security vs. Food Security:
- Feeding America has increased the distribution of nutritionally dense foods ("foods to encourage") by 900 million pounds year-over-year, currently comprising 73% of their distributed food.
- Key categories for "foods to encourage" include dairy, protein, and produce.
- Panelists argue that "nutrition insecurity" is a more accurate term than food insecurity for populations with access to cheap calories but lacking nutritional density.
- Technological and Behavioral Shifts:
- The "Internet of Food" (meal kits, fresh grocery delivery) is growing at 16% annually.
- The global probiotics market is projected to grow from $55 billion to $100 billion.
- Online SNAP usage (EBT) is identified as a "game changer," providing dignity, reducing transportation barriers, and allowing users to better optimize benefit dollars through nutrition incentives like "double up bucks."
- Behavioral science (nudging) is used to guide consumers toward healthier choices, with over half of the 60,000 nonprofit partners in the Feeding America network employing such tactics.
- Economic and Historical Context:
- Direct annual costs for obesity-related chronic diseases (e.g., Type 2 diabetes) are estimated at approximately $187 billion.
- The U.S. spends roughly 11% of household income on food, compared to 30% in Europe and 50% in less developed nations.
- Historical parallel: The Roman Empire's collapse is linked to soil erosion and infertility caused by intensive monocropping, similar to modern concerns over topsoil loss.
- Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture:
- The corn-growing region is shifting northward by approximately 25 miles per year due to rising temperatures.
- Topsoil loss in regions like Pennsylvania has become critical, with significant erosion into water bodies like the Chesapeake Bay.
- Forward-Looking Consensus:
- Panelists agree on the necessity of shifting government subsidies from low-value commodity crops (corn/soy) to the production of nutrient-dense foods.
- There is a shared view that "food is health" requires preventative intervention across the entire supply chain rather than just treating illness.
- The conversation concludes with a call to action to leverage public-private partnerships to implement these changes immediately, citing the widespread volunteerism and desire for positive solutions found in every U.S. state.