Food Politics
US Regulatory Associations related to food
Farm Bill & Subsidies
-Go to MeL.org, Teens, Opposing Viewpoints and search for "farm subsidies" or "Farm Bill." Read a few articles.
-Go to MeL.org, Kids, and choose Kids InfoBits or Research in Context. Search for "farm subsidies" or "Farm Bill." Read a few relevant articles.
Farm Bill: Why Don't Taxpayers Subsidize the Foods that Are Better for Us?
Food Lobbying
Sugary drinks, lean meat, and the politics of dietary guidelines
COOL (Country of Origin Legislation) Heats Up
Go to MeL.org, Kids, Homework Helpers, and choose Research in Context. Search for "sugar lobby "dairy lobby" "corn lobby" "meat lobby" and any other food term that was abundant in what our group ate over the weekend. (For fun, also maybe try things like "broccoli lobby" or other foods that we probably should be eating more of...)
Go to MeL.org, Teens, Homework Helpers, and choose Opposing Viewpoints. Search for "food lobbying" and other terms suggested above. There is some good stuff in the Audio and News sections!
Food Advertising
Explore Research in Context for articles related to advertising food, particularly to children. What laws govern food advertising? What laws govern what can be advertised in the packaging?
Food Labels & Certifications
Consumer Reports explains food labels
USDA Organic Standards--be sure to explore the links on this page to learn more about the different aspects of the USDA Organic label
Certified Humane Standards--explore individual links to learn about what the standards/regulations are to receive a Certified Humane label (the PDFs for different types of foods/livestock)
Free Range & Pasture Raised HFAC labels, explained
Cage Free vs. Pasture Raised vs. Free Range, explained
Fair Trade Certified--also explore other pages of the website to learn more about Fair Trade
Meat & Poultry Labeling Terms, USDA
Family Scenario Tools
SNAP Benefits & Eligibility--Is your persona eligible? Would he/she have the time and resources to determine eligibility and apply for SNAP?
WIC Benefits & Eligibility--Is your persona eligible? Would she have the time and resources to determine eligibility and apply for WIC?
Tax Form Calculator--how much would your persona be expected to pay in taxes? Deduct the answer from your Family Income
ACA Insurance Cost Calculator--How much would health insurance cost for your family under the Affordable Care Act? (Also indicates Medicaid eligibility)