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.
With our constant concern about threats to homeland security, ensuring the security of our nation's food supply is a top priority; nearly 20 percent of goods imported to the United States today are food and agricultural products. But do we truly have the ability to inspect all of the consumables that come to us?
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.
Features
• 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
Highlights
• Covers an under-published topic that warrants more attention and awareness given current vulnerability and the potentially catastrophic results
• Provides a historical background on Food and Agriculture Security
• Includes a discussion of topical terminology, such as food safety, food security, food defense, and food protection
• Examines Food and Agriculture Security within a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives
• Provides insights on domestic issues as well as international challenges
• Advances students' appreciation for both public-private partnerships and international collaboration to ensure Food and Agriculture Security
Justin Kastner, PhD, is assistant professor of food safety and security at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS and serves as codirector for the Kansas State University-New Mexico State University Frontier program for the historical studies of border security, food security, and trade policy. Kastner holds graduate degrees from the University of Guelph, the University of Edinburgh, and London South Bank University, and teaches courses related to the multilateral trading system, economic history and the history of public health, and multidisciplinary research and writing.
Reviews
"... This work is accessibly written and has strong potential for student and classroom use for studies of food safety, homeland security, bioterrorism, or trade policy. ...Recommended."—Choice
