Introduction

Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News (top left), Matthew Cavanaugh/for The New York Times (top right), Michael Kirby Smith for The New York Times (bottom right), Evelyn Hockstein for The New York Times (bottom left)

The farm bill, being debated in the Senate this month, is felt far beyond the cornfields of Iowa. It’s about what we grow, but it’s also about what we eat and how we live.

On the potato chip aisle, Americans are seeing the farm bill’s market pressures. On the scale at the doctor’s office, we are seeing its health effects. It fuels the growth of agribusiness, and also sustains small farms. It dictates foreign food aid, school lunches and nutrition programs like food stamps. It can encourage stewardship of the land, or not.

In this sprawling legislation, what is missing that should be added? What is in the bill but should be eliminated?