The Growing Debate

Nearly half of the U.S. food supply — or 80 billion pounds — is wasted each year due to Mother Nature and restrictions placed on growers by grocers, vendors and companies. Combine those with consumer spending habits and expectations have created a perfect storm of discarded food. Why are these standards set and can good food going to waste be prevented?

After hearing about the future of food, we return to the present, as plant-based foods explode and traditional food pioneers respond, showing us exciting new innovations. Can these two different worlds coexist in harmony?

Plant-based food, lab-grown meat and 3D-printed burgers. With the rise of new food science, one thing is clear: Our food doesn’t look like it used to. What technology is powering this future food revolution — and how far could it take us?

We’ve all heard stories of young kids who leave the family farm for the big city, never to return. In truth, the next generations is returning to farming after years away from the field. Why have the kids come back — and what’s keeping them there?

Big farms are a force today. They’re a source of food for billions of people and a source of controversy. What does the story of the large-scale farmer, the producer tasked with feeding the world, really look like?

While COVID-19 showed how fragile the US food supply chain can be, some farmers are introducing new ideas to our food system. What have we learned to prepare for the next crisis? What obstacles still remain?

Near the North Pole is an underground vault holding over a million seeds in case our food supply is threatened. From dodging Indonesian storms to smuggling seeds out of Syria, how far will scientists go to protect something as small as a seed?

2020 is predicted to be the fifth year in a row with lower-than-average price inflation at the grocery store. Who’s benefiting from more affordable food? Who isn’t?

In the U.S., the suicide rate in rural areas is 45% greater than in urban areas. What’s behind this disturbing trend? Is it an indicator of a growing problem in our society?

As women and minorities become more common in agriculture, what does it take to be an outsider? Is equality the same as empowerment? And is equality just a set of numbers matching up?