Agriculture and dietary guidelines

Relative to USDA dietary guidelines there is a 30% deficit in vegetable production and a 100% deficit in fruit production in the US. The western US, especially California, dominates current production of both fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. Constraints in land and water resources in California suggest that some shifts in production could occur in the future if production is matched to self sufficiency. Opportunities exist for production to increase in the eastern half of the US where water is abundant, especially for processed products. Even regions with long winters, such as the northeast, could be self sufficient in fruits and vegetables. Past responses of agriculture to producing more healthy products include vegetable oils, low fat milk and greater production of poultry. Crop improvement programs have not included nutrition and health characteristics as a guiding principle and much potential to improve these traits in fruits and vegetables exists. Greater understanding of the effects of environmental and management factors on crop 'quality' is needed and strategies to produce nutritionally consistent products should be developed.