How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Update)

2024/12/9

Why did the U.S. government invest heavily in agricultural research during the Cold War?

The U.S. aimed to demonstrate the superiority of capitalism over communism by showcasing American agricultural productivity and abundance.

How did the U.S. government's agricultural policies influence the supermarket industry?

Government policies encouraged industrial agriculture, making mass-produced foods affordable and enabling the rise of supermarkets as one-stop shopping and service emporiums.

What role did the Supermarket USA exhibit play in the Cold War?

The exhibit in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, displayed American abundance and affordability, aiming to undermine communist ideology by showing the benefits of capitalism.

Why did the Soviet Union struggle with agricultural productivity despite visiting U.S. farms?

The Soviet Union faced management and marketing issues, failing to align production with consumer needs, leading to empty shelves and reliance on imported grain.

What were the long-term economic consequences of U.S. agricultural policies?

Policies led to industrialization, consolidation of farms, and a surplus of staple crops like corn and soybeans, contributing to issues like obesity and environmental degradation.

How did the introduction of the mechanical tomato harvester impact U.S. agriculture?

The harvester revolutionized operations but led to the closure of 4,400 small tomato farms within five years, highlighting the shift towards industrial farming.

What was the significance of the Chicken of Tomorrow project?

The project aimed to produce the most efficient chicken using genetic techniques, leading to the modern chicken we eat today, characterized by heavy breasts and disease resistance.

How did Walmart's entry into the supermarket industry change food marketing?

Walmart introduced hyper-efficient logistics and distribution, using supercomputers to track inventory, revolutionizing supply chain management and setting new standards for efficiency.

What environmental issues arose from U.S. agricultural policies?

Heavy use of fertilizers on corn fields contributed to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting the environmental costs of industrial farming practices.

How did trade tariffs and government aid impact U.S. farmers in recent years?

Tariffs led to reduced exports and lower revenues, prompting government aid packages totaling over $157 billion to support farmers, creating a cycle of dependency on subsidies.

Last week, we heard a former U.S. ambassador describe Russia’s escalating conflict with the U.S. Today, we revisit a 2019 episode about an overlooked front in the Cold War — a “farms race” that, decades later, still influences what Americans eat.

SOURCES:
Anne Effland), former Senior Economist for the Office of Chief Economist in the U.S.D.A.
Shane Hamilton), historian at the University of York.
Peter Timmer), economist and former professor at Harvard University.
Audra Wolfe), writer, editor, and historian.
RESOURCES:
Freedom’s Laboratory: The Cold War Struggle for the Soul of Science), by Audra Wolfe (2018).
Supermarket USA: Food and Power in The Cold War Farms Race), by Shane Hamilton (2018).
“Association of Higher Consumption of Foods Derived From Subsidized Commodities With Adverse Cardiometabolic Risk Among US Adults),” by Karen R. Siegel, Kai McKeever Bullard, K. M. Narayan, et al. (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2016).
The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War), by Robert J. Gordon (2016).
“How the Mechanical Tomato Harvester Prompted the Food Movement),” by Ildi Carlisle-Cummins (UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences Newsletter, 2015).
EXTRAS:
"Is the U.S. Sleeping on Threats from Russia and China?)" by *Freakonomics Radio *(2024).

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