The US food production system yields a large volume of food that is relatively low in cost for consumers but is often high in calories and low in nutritional value. This article examines the evidence that intensive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics and fossil fuel in food production, as well as chemicals in food packaging, are potentially harmful to human reproductive and developmental health.

This article was originally published in Health Affairs, 30, no. 5, 2011 by Project HOPE.