Many issues in food and agriculture are portrayed as increasingly polarized. These include industrial vs. sustainable agriculture, conventional vs. organic production methods, and global vs. local food sourcing, to name only three. This book addresses the origins, validity, consequences, and potential resolution of these and other divergences.

1. Introduction: The Industrialization and De-Industrialization of Agriculture 2. A Concise History of Agriculture: The Advent of Polarization 3. Markets and Polarization 4. Food Markets and Polarization 5. Creative Destruction and the Cycle of Polarization 6. Industrial Agriculture and Economies of Scale 7. Externalities, Public Goods and Agricultural Subsidies 8. Product Bundling: Bringing Together Divergent Consumers 9. Trade, Globalization and Localism 10. Negotiating Resolution: Game Theory 11. The Future of Food Polarization

Andrew Barkley is Professor and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University, USA. Andrew teaches courses in the economics of agriculture and public policy. His research includes assessment of teaching and learning methods and the economic evaluation of the wheat industry.

Paul W. Barkley is Professor Emeritus, Department of Agricultural Economics, Washington State University and Adjunct Professor, Applied Economics Department at Oregon State University, USA. Paul has made major contributions to the fields of rural (community) development and environmental economics. He is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.