The chapter explores the effects of agricultural practices on the food system, including how concentrated markets lead to higher prices and lower quality products for consumers. It discusses the influence of government policies like the farm bill on food production, highlighting the historical trend of subsidizing grains over produce and its impact on domestic vegetable production. The conversation also touches on the shift towards specialization in regional food production, changes in crop cultivation locations, and the challenges associated with water distribution and control by wealthy individuals in regions like California.
Whether you're at the grocery store or a restaurant, food is becoming obscenely expensive. It's easy to point to inflation as the sole culprit, but that's only a narrow view of a much bigger picture. For years, the food industry has been falling to monopolists who have been edging out independent farmers. Food quality has gone down, prices have gone up, and it has been a shocking disaster for the environment. This week, Adam speaks with Austin Frerick, an expert on agriculture and antitrust policy, a fellow at Yale, and author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry. Find Austin's book at factuallypod.com/books
SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/adamconover
SEE ADAM ON TOUR: https://www.adamconover.net/tourdates/
SUBSCRIBE to and RATE Factually! on:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/factually-with-adam-conover/id1463460577
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0fK8WJw4ffMc2NWydBlDyJ
About Headgum: Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com.
» SUBSCRIBE to Headgum: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadGum?sub_confirmation=1
» FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/headgum
» FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/headgum/
» FOLLOW us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headgum
» Advertise on Factually! via Gumball.fm
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.