It’s Time to Rethink Our Food System

The side effects of soil erosion have destroyed once-thriving regions, a lesson we'd be wise to learn

Food grows from the minerals and nutriets found in soil, but this important organic matter is fast vanishing, jeapardizing food security on a massive scale.maxbelchenko/Shutterstock

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic shutdowns have severely disrupted and spotlighted weaknesses in the U.S. food system.

Farmers, food distributors, and government agencies are working to reconfigure supply chains so that food can get to where it’s needed. But there is a hidden, long-neglected dimension that should also be addressed as the nation rebuilds from the current crisis.