The US Army Corp of Engineers is currently conducting a seven year
study on the need for navigational
improvements on the Upper
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and
to quantify the environmental
impacts of providing these
improvements. Several multi billion dollar proposals are
currently under consideration and
have generated substantial public
controversy. Agribusiness and
other interests that support the
navigation project often claim it
will allow the United States to
better "feed the world". In this
paper, we examine that claim.