5.1 Introduction
Any examination of the history of agriculture shows its vital importance. But even as the world progresses in other such sophisticated areas as communications and technology, the simple need to grow and distribute food becomes even more critical. In a world which during the past 40 years has seen remarkable progress by many nations in agricultural production, the fact remains that the future prospects for meeting world food needs still depend heavily on one nation — the United States.
Several hundred million people in the world struggle for daily survival on incomes which cannot provide even the minimum diet required for good health. These millions of people spend the majority of their incomes on food, usually the cheapest food that will sustain human life. In Bangladesh, for example, 80 percent of the total caloric intake has historically come from food grains, and in most of the poorest nations, such grains account for well over half of total calories. However in the U.S., consumers enjoy the safest, most wholesome, most nutritious, and varied food supply in the world. The contrast with the developing countries could not be more striking.
In addition to the variety of food available for U.S. consumers, Americans also enjoy the benefits of an inexpensive food supply. In the United States, the average family spends less than 10 percent of their disposable income on food. That same family in France spends 16 percent, in Japan 18 percent, in Thailand 29 percent, in Mexico 48 percent, and in India 53 percent.
Over the next several years, prospects for food supply and equitable distribution are fair at best. The United States today has an opportunity — as well as an obligation — to lead the world toward a more secure food policy. A major portion of that policy is the development of sound regulatory policies and programs which provide for the production of a safe and nutritious food supply for American consumers and the rest of the world.