Did you know that 70 percent of the land in the state of IA is planted in a corn/soy rotation, and that almost none of the decisions driving this current production system were made with the nutritional or caloric needs of human beings in mind? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Chris Jones, Ph.D., retired research engineer at the U. of IA and author of The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality. Jones discusses the water quality sensor network he managed at the U of IA, and the devastating environmental impacts of IA agriculture, which is dominated by corn and soy, corn-based ethanol and 25 million hogs. He explains the benefits of biodiversity, farming to scale, and stopping federal support of corn-based ethanol. Jones says local politics are key to changing policies affecting our environment and health. His book features a collection of blog posts about agriculture, water quality and the forces behind our food, fuel and farming policies.

Related website:  Ice Cube Press, https://icecubepress.com/2023/04/10/the-swine-republic-2/
Presentation in Fairfield, IA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QShuYfzxntk&t=464s
Article: Ethanol: “Environmental Outcomes of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard:” https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2101084119

Water Quality Monitoring Network: http://www2.iihr.uiowa.edu/research/the-iowa-nutrient-research-center/?doing_wp_cron=1688300810.4253079891204833984375