The big picture: Obesity, consumption, and food production

Robert Johansson (rob@sugaralliance.org), Lisa Mancino (lisa.nmi.mancino@gmail.com) and Joseph Cooper (joseph.cooper0@gmail.com)

Agribusiness, 2006, vol. 22, issue 4, 491-503

Abstract: Reducing the percentage of Americans who are either overweight or obese to meet public health objectives may influence agricultural production. The authors' results show that reducing aggregate consumption by 6% to meet public health objectives with no increase in overall physical activity could reduce production of agricultural commodities and reduce net returns to producers by $3.5 billion. However, if consumption is reduced by 2% concomitantly with a marginal increase in physical activity, similar health outcomes could be achieved at much less cost ($1.3 billion). Conversely, continuing obesity trends may enhance returns to agricultural production by $1.3 billion annually. Changes in agricultural activities would likely be variable across the landscape. Results indicate that the largest potential changes in agricultural producer net returns (positive or negative) would occur in the Corn Belt and the Lake States. There, crop acreage could fall by as much as 650,000 hectares. [EconLit citations: Q130, Q180] © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 22: 491-503, 2006.

Date: 2006
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:agribz:v:22:y:2006:i:4:p:491-503

DOI: 10.1002/agr.20099

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