About this episode
What is the true cost of what we’re eating to society, humans, to our natural resources, our natural capital and economies? Looking past sticker price, what is the cost when we consider the benefit or burden that food has on your health, our environment, our climate, our farmworkers, the economy, and so much more. Our food system drives the production of processed food which is the biggest killer on the planet, killing 11 million people a year. The biggest expenditure of the U.S. government is Medicare, and the Medicare trust fund is projected to run out of money by 2025 from dealing with the chronic illnesses caused by our food. Our food system is also causing a loss of biodiversity, which is essential to growing nutritious food. Conventional farming practices that rely on agricultural chemical inputs, over-tilling, nitrogen fertilizers, monoculture, deforestation, and more, contribute to a massive loss of biological diversity on the planet. In fact, we’re currently experiencing the most extreme loss of life on Earth since the extinction of the dinosaurs. This has major consequences for our food security, as we have less fertile soil, a decline in pollinators essential for food production, and other direct food losses like fish from polluted waterways. The good news is we can solve this issue together. Dr. Hyman speaks to all of these topics in this episode featuring topics from his new book, Food Fix, which is out on February 25th. Visit FoodFixBook.com to learn more.