Part 3/10:
In just a few decades, the mechanization of food production exploded, leading to nearly a tripling of farm production from 1948 to 2017. Alongside an increase in food availability, the affordability of food was also a crucial aspect of this change. Government actions during the Cold War—like subsidizing farmers—ensured that food remained inexpensive for consumers, making grocery prices drop dramatically over the decades. As a result, cheap, plentiful food became the norm, laying the groundwork for contemporary eating habits.