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Agriculture as an Instrument of Public Health: The Potential of Dry Beans H. J. THOMPSON (1). (1) Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A. Obesity, diabetes (type-II), cardiovascular disease, and cancer are major health concerns in developed and developing regions around the world. These chronic diseases are in many circumstances considered to be preventable through lifestyle choices that include the types and amounts of foods eaten, particularly those foods of plant origin, although this remains controversial. The mechanisms targeted for food-mediated disease risk reduction include altered glucose metabolism, chronic inflammation, and excessive cellular oxidation.   Given the profound consequences of chronic diseases on society and the potential of food crops to meaningfully reduce risk for these diseases, the opportunity exists for scientists in a broad array of disciplines to collaborate in order to harness existing and emerging innovations in agriculture and the biomedical sciences to reduce chronic disease prevalence. We have coined the term “Crops for Health” to describe this research effort that is defining the new field of biomedical agriculture. During this presentation, the audience will be taken behind the scenes to emerging work in the laboratory. Case studies from preclinical research will be drawn upon to suggest that common bean, a pulse crop, may be a key food in the prevention and control of chronic disease. Another theme we will explore is the question: are all varieties of a food crop created equal?  The audience will learn about centers of domestication and how botanical classification may help us use scientific principles to redefine the proverbial concepts of variety and moderation in the foods we eat.  From the clinic, examples will be provided of how breast cancer survivors are applying the ancient tradition of pairing cereal grains and root crops with grain legumes (pulses) with the goal of improving prognosis for long term survival. View Presentation