Food and Agriculture Security: An Historical, Multidisciplinary Approach

This work is a historical, multidisciplinary explanation of the complexities of the food system in the United States and around the world, spanning the beginning of the modern era to today's globalized, interconnected market. A revolution in food supply and trade has been ongoing for decades, although most American consumers have been unaware of these changes—after all, to the end buyer, the food seems the same at the supermarket. But today, a large percentage of our food and agricultural products are imported to our country, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated Food and Agriculture as a "Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector." Cross-border cooperation is essential, given the volume of trade, the nature of testing required, and the importance of ensuring the safety of these products. This book examines our food system in its entirety, discusses threats to food and agriculture security in America and abroad, and covers trade policy issues and U.S.-specific regulations affecting the food supply chain security. Emerging models of cross-border cooperation in Food and Agriculture Security are also described. Contains chapters on food security, trade policy, and historical studies of border security authored by resident experts within the Frontier program Historical maps illustrate how past trade disputes over animal disease have influenced modern food and agriculture security Includes photographs of key people who have influenced the Food and Agriculture Security policy throughout history