Industrial Agriculture is as outdated as the Model T. You’ll probably read statements (including some by people who should know better) that millions of people would starve if it weren’t for pesticide, irrigation, and fertilizer-dependent agriculture. (Funny how they don’t care about hungry people until their industries are threatened). True, we can’t eliminate it all at once, but the world need small organic growers. One reason is that they restore soil fertility, rather than depleting it with chemicals. “Organic farming contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions because it reduces the consumption of fossil fuels (notably those used in fertilizer manufacturing), and reduces emissions of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide. It also reduces vulnerability of soils to erosion, while at the same time increasing carbon stocks in the soil. Consequently, conversion to organic farming is believed to be a viable way of reducing GHG emissions.” Introduction to Organic Agriculture and Climate Change Conference, September 28-29, 2009, Sofia, Bulgaria
Ever wonder what pesticides were used to produce the apples, grains, and vegetables you eat? Now you can find out. Go to What’s On My Food (http://whatsonmyfood.org) and type in the kind of food you’re thinking of eating. You’ll get information on what kind of chemicals are typically used for such crops. After looking up some of your favorites, we think you might look on organic food with even more respect than you already do.
1. The cow moved from a Texas range to a Colorado feedlot to be fattened.
2. Corn from Nebraska goes to the feedlot to feed the cow.
3. Water from the Ogalalla aquifer is used to water the cow.
4. The cow is slaughtered and the parts shipped to Seattle.
5. Milk from a dairy in Washington is turned into cheese.
6. Tomatoes and lettuce from California become garnish.
7. Wheat from Idaho becomes the hamburger bun.
8. Potatoes from Idaho become the fries.
9. Corn oil from Nebraska is used to fry the French fries.
10. Salt from Louisiana is added.
11. Florida tomatoes are shipped to Pittsburgh to make ketchup.
12. Ketchup is shipped to Ohio, where ketchup pouches are made.
13. Ketchup is shipped from Ohio to Seattle.
14. The box of fries is made of pulp from an Arkansas mill.
15. Bauxite from Australia is imported to make aluminum.
16. Calcium oxide from Japan is used to process the bauxite.
17. Aluminum goes from smelter to canner to make cans.
18. Corn from Iowa becomes the corn syrup to sweeten the coal.
Source: Stuff: The Secret Life of Everyday Things by John Ryan and Alan Durning
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In California, college and high school students got together over a February weekend to further their goals of making their schools’ food services more sustainable and just. Over 200 young people gathered for workshops, presentations, earth-friendly food, and fun. Good networking was had by all. Their mission is “To unite and empower the California community of higher education to collaboratively and nonviolently transform our selves and our institutions based on our inherent social, economic, and ecological responsibilities.” To find out more information click here.
Did you know that 86,000 chemicals have been registered in the US? Try to guess how many of them have been tested by the EPA for safety. Well, you might hope all of them have been tested – but the actual answer is only 200, according to the Pesticide Action Network (panna.org). One of the commonest, bisphenol A (BPA) was not tested before being used in many products, including food containers. Corporations have been allowed to keep secret the names of risky chemicals if disclosure would reduce the company’s profit. This loophole has recently been closed. Not a moment too soon.
A MacArthur genius award was given to Will Allen, a Milwaukee urban farmer who has, in the last 15 years,developed a project that grows and distributes food through the nonprofit Growing Power. Read more about this here. Watch Allen discuss his work further in the video posted below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EpTWQWx1MQ&feature=player_embedded]
