Cows and Cars Are Agriculture’s Priority—Not People

A new study into crop yields between 1975 and 2010 looked at where crop yields have lagged or raced ahead.

The results give us some clues about where farmers and policy should focus in order to feed more people without turning lots more land into farms.

The winners of the National Corn Yield Contest showcase the stonkingly high yields farmers can achieve, but most farmers don't have access to the shiniest farm technology.

More than three-quarters of soybean production goes to feeding livestock.

Only a slim share of those calories from soy ever make it into human diets.

This is bad news for the planet because it means we’re not using our farmed land in the most efficient way possible.