226
(fruits and vegetables). That prioritization, however, led to a situation in 2005 where
US farmers were, by a USDA estimate, some 15 million acres short of producing
sufficient specialty crops to meet the recommended ratio of fruits and vegetables to
grains and starches given in the dietary guidelines.
10
In 2011, The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) shifted the focus of regulatory efforts to the prevention of foodborne illness by addressing multiple steps in the
production and supply chain. It directs the FDA to balance environmental concerns
with food safety concerns by standards enacted by environmental and conservation
agencies when making rules under the Act. However, as Pollans (2016) notes, this
approach is ineffective at minimizing negative environmental impacts of farming
practices, including those on water, because it “puts the onus of considering environmental effects on the regulatory agency (FDA) despite the fact that the structure of the
regulatory scheme shifts substantial regulatory authority to private parties.”
Some laws meant to promote and protect domestic agriculture can create
adverse impacts on water resources. Right-to-farm laws, originally intended to
protect farmers from nuisance suits—for smells or dust, for example—by neighbors, have sometimes been applied in manners that effectively given farmers, as
Hamilton (2013) argues, a “right to commit nuisance.” Hamilton also notes that
many farming activities, such as the installation of drain tile in poorly drained
fields, are virtually unregulated, even though they have significant impacts on local
hydrology.
8.2.4 Food–Energy–Water Nexus Approaches
Food–energy–water Nexus approaches can be seen in a limited number of federal
initiatives. One example is the U.S. EPA’s NetZero program, designed to reduce the
use of energy and water and eliminate solid waste production in military and nonmilitary facilities with the goals of “protecting human health and the environment
while generating societal and economic benefits.” To promote a better understanding
of the interconnections between FEW resources, a collaboration between the
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Science
Foundation is funding new research into FEW nexus projects.
8.2.5 Microorganisms in the Spotlight at the FEW Nexus
One significant, visible, and dangerous linkage between food production, energy,
and water quality is the phenomenon of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), an unfortunate misnomer since the blooms are actually composed of cyanobacteria. A key
10 See Buzby and Wells (2007)
B. Kinne and D. Magee
(fruits and vegetables). That prioritization, however, led to a situation in 2005 where
US farmers were, by a USDA estimate, some 15 million acres short of producing
sufficient specialty crops to meet the recommended ratio of fruits and vegetables to
grains and starches given in the dietary guidelines.
10
In 2011, The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) shifted the focus of regulatory efforts to the prevention of foodborne illness by addressing multiple steps in the
production and supply chain. It directs the FDA to balance environmental concerns
with food safety concerns by standards enacted by environmental and conservation
agencies when making rules under the Act. However, as Pollans (2016) notes, this
approach is ineffective at minimizing negative environmental impacts of farming
practices, including those on water, because it “puts the onus of considering environmental effects on the regulatory agency (FDA) despite the fact that the structure of the
regulatory scheme shifts substantial regulatory authority to private parties.”
Some laws meant to promote and protect domestic agriculture can create
adverse impacts on water resources. Right-to-farm laws, originally intended to
protect farmers from nuisance suits—for smells or dust, for example—by neighbors, have sometimes been applied in manners that effectively given farmers, as
Hamilton (2013) argues, a “right to commit nuisance.” Hamilton also notes that
many farming activities, such as the installation of drain tile in poorly drained
fields, are virtually unregulated, even though they have significant impacts on local
hydrology.
8.2.4 Food–Energy–Water Nexus Approaches
Food–energy–water Nexus approaches can be seen in a limited number of federal
initiatives. One example is the U.S. EPA’s NetZero program, designed to reduce the
use of energy and water and eliminate solid waste production in military and nonmilitary facilities with the goals of “protecting human health and the environment
while generating societal and economic benefits.” To promote a better understanding
of the interconnections between FEW resources, a collaboration between the
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Science
Foundation is funding new research into FEW nexus projects.
8.2.5 Microorganisms in the Spotlight at the FEW Nexus
One significant, visible, and dangerous linkage between food production, energy,
and water quality is the phenomenon of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), an unfortunate misnomer since the blooms are actually composed of cyanobacteria. A key
10 See Buzby and Wells (2007)
B. Kinne and D. Magee