• Malnutrition plagues many developing nations.

Combinations of natural disasters and political problems afflict nations designated as in a state of "protracted crisis" - chronic hunger for a large percentage of their population.

• Sound nutrition involves wise choices and moderation in calorie consumption - about 1,800 calories per day for the average adult.

1. The majority of food intake should be grains, fruits, and vegetables that provide carbohydrates (source of calories) and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

2. Meat, fish, dairy, legumes, and nuts provide proteins.

3. Some fats are necessary, though saturated (mostly animal) fats and trans fats should be avoided.

4. Empty calories from refined carbohydrates should be minimized - excess calories lead to over-nutrition.

• After WW II, the Green Revolution increased food productivity until the 80's by using pesticides, fertilizers, mechanized farming and high-yield varieties (HYVs) of crops.

Food productivity increased again at the turn of the century from genetic engineering technologies.

Consequences of these developments include:

• Loss of crop biodiversity - many heirloom varieties may be lost.
• Runoff of nutrients and loss of soil organisms.
• Heavy irrigation drains aquifers and leads to soil salinization - buildup of salt.

• Genetic engineering can insert genes from one species into the DNA of another.

Bt is a pesticide derived from A bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis) that has been genetically engineered into GM plants such as corn to confer pest resistance.

• Genetic engineering has produced genetically modified organisms (GMO) with some unintended consequences.

• Herbicide-tolerant plants

• Pest-resistant plants

• Corporate farming

• Herbicide-tolerant plants allow farmers to use herbicides to reduce weeds and increase yields.

Eventually weeds will become resistant to the herbicides and become superweeds.

• Pest-resistant plants allow farmers to use less pesticides.

Eventually pests will become resistant to the pesticides.

• Corporate funding in the private sector now drives American agriculture.

Food industry is now dominated by giant agribusiness with near-monopoly powers.