There is Hope
What do you believe? Many claim that a sustainable, organic, and local food system is not practical with the current need for productivity and distribution. However, agriculture that employs complimentary practices and local systems gives us hope for environmental health, economic stability, and social empowerment! Using the best sustainable, organic, and local farming methods can help us overcome the food crisis we are currently facing. Actually, our current food system has the least efficiency in terms of both production and distribution. As a result, these industry practices are threatening peoples' physical and economic health, as well as the biological survival of the planet. Companies are opting for “cheap” food, high productivity and easy distribution, when in reality these are far from what is needed.
Since the 1960s, there has been an exponential increase in obesity rates in the U.S. Before the 1960s, obesity was at less than 9.7%, but today has increased dramatically to approximately 32% (Bird). These perhaps food caused health problems have cost billions of dollars. In 1958, the beginning of the industrial food revolution, the number of diagnosed diabetics was 1.6 million and was at a low percentage of 0.93. However, by 2010 this percentage increased by more than seven times to 6.95 and increased the total diagnosed diabetics to more than 21 million people (“Long-Term Trends in Diagnosed Diabetes”). In a 15 year long study on 3,031 men and women, University of Minnesota researchers found that those who ate fast food twice or more a week gained an extra 10 pounds and were two times as likely to have pre-diabeteic diseases related to insulin resistance, compared to those who ate fast food less than one time a week (''Fast Food Facts: Effects and Health Risks of a Junk Food Diet"). In 1970, Americans spent $6 billion on fast food. However, by 2000, it skyrocketed to $110 billion as the industrial food system progressed (Boyers). Author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser noted that “Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars. They spend more money on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music –– combined” (Schlosser). This exemplifies how the evolution of this system has contributed to the increase in negative health effects. It has also cost individuals, the entire health system, and the economy more money than is available. If the population can stray away from an industrial food system, away from processed foods and the idea that this current system is the only way, people throughout the nation may have a chance at a healthier lifestyle.
Not only is this system causing negative health consequences for people, it is creating detrimental environmental effects. Farmers are overusing pesticides and fertilizers because both are necessary in a farming system that is based on mono-cropping. Mono-cropping (growing large quantities of one crop) is the central practice of the industrial food system because it allows industrial harvesting methods, production of processed foods, and taking advantage of government subsidies. Mono-cropping not only destroys the soil, but also makes the plants more susceptible to pests. The vast amount of pesticides and fertilizers cause several problems. Soil becomes contaminated, harming both the microorganisms that fertile soil depends on, and the animals that eat the now-contaminated bugs. Pesticides and fertilizers are also seeping into water sources and creating acid rain which destroys forests and oceans alike. Excess nitrogen is evaporating and releasing more gas into the air than is healthy for the planet. In a seminar with several other food activists, Vandana Shiva talked about the “real food crisis.” Shiva is “a physicist and an ecologist, activist, writer and founder and director of Navdanya, an organization based in India, whose mission is to defend nature and rights of people to food, water and dignified lively-hoods.” She pointed out that “If you destroy the fertility of the soil, you cannot feed the world” (Fernald, Kummer, Patel, Petrini, Shiva). However, if farmers planted a variety of crops together (known as “inter-cropping”), the soil would be more vital and the plants would be more resistant to predators and diseases. For example, when grains that require nitrogen are planted along with nitrogen-fixing plants (such as legumes), the need for fertilizers and pesticides is decreased or eliminated.
As much as the pubic is led to believe that this system is working for them, it isn't. Individuals and communities are relying on the government and big companies to supply food they don't have a connection to anymore. Consumers are absent from the process of food production. Citizens have no control over what they are eating and in turn are allowing themselves to eat food they know little about. Shiva claims that “food is no more about nourishing our bodies, it's about trade, commodities, and profiteering.” That is where the real crisis begins. The “entire nature of food has changed” and food is no longer seen as a source of nutrition and energy, but is for the pure sake of profit (Fernald, Kummer, Patel, Petrini, Shiva).
Despite this, there is hope! The country needs a system that can work together to create a stronger sustainable world. Both vertical farming and the methods of Joel Salatin, demonstrate how realistic and attainable these goals really are. Joel Salatin is an “entrepreneur and owner of Polyface Farms which is known for its unique approach to sustainable farming”. He is “featured in Food, Inc., Omnivore’s Dilemma, and is the author of Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World” ("#1212 Creative Farming"). By creating a natural cycle without harmful chemicals or GMOs, the environment can be saved from an inevitable downfall, as well as the suffering economy and even the health of consumers.
Joel Salatin's farm, Polyface Farms, directly shows the effectiveness of complimentary agricultural systems. One example of this, is his process of natural soil fertilization by moving cows from field to field to graze. After grazing on one field, they are moved to another to allow the fields to recuperate. A few days later, chickens are placed in the same field the cows previously grazed on to eat larvae from the cows' waste. The chickens then emit their own waste to further fertilize the soil (Pollan). This process is beneficial for the entire system. Because the cows and chickens eat grass and larvae, Joel Salatin doesn't have to buy feed for the animals, not only benefiting him, but benefiting the the livestock with a healthy diet. This process also benefits the soil, in turn, giving the plants much more nutrition. It is a win win. This system directly mimics the natural cycles of life and uses no pesticides, fertilizers or antibiotics and does not pollute or create any harm! These kinds of systems, once in place, benefit the entire ecological system and eliminate waste. The “Farming Systems Trial” conducted by the Rodale Institute is “America’s longest running, side- by-side comparison of organic and chemical agriculture” and was started in 1981.
This study found that:
In the long run the nation is accomplishing less with a conventional system than it can with organic and sustainable practices.
A more factory based system known as vertical farming has become popular in the last few years. It is a “proposed agricultural technique involving large-scale agriculture in urban high-rises or 'farm-scrapers'” (Allease), (Vertical farming). Like Polyface, vertical farming recycles the waste, but in a technologically advanced way. Dickson Despommier, author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century explained the “Vertical Farm Tool Box” in a TED Talk presentation. It consists of hydroponics, aeroponics, drip irrigation, waste-to-energy, automation, water re-capture, passive energy, and LED lighting. In using the many modern technologies, like skyscrapers, it is allowing us to eliminate agricultural runoff, produce crops year round and prevent crop loss due to severe weather events. It uses 70% less water and no agro-chemicals or fossil fuels and allows repair of damaged ecosystems. The advantages of this practical farming method are astounding. Vertical farming can also remediate gray water, supply fresh produce for inner city dwellers, use abandoned city properties, grow bio-fuels and plant-derived drugs, and create new jobs (TedxTalks). Not only does vertical farming have direct advantages, but in the long run, this form of farming will improve the current environmental state, create economic stability, and create a connection to where one's food comes from and establish independence. The population will need much less guidance from huge corporations and more from their own individual communities. This will finally lead to the final goal of social empowerment.
These two methods have another benefit as well, which has to do with the efficiency of distribution. Because these systems are local, they can be distributed without the long distances that come with conventional practices.
In order to accomplish the nations goals of improving environmental health, providing economic stability, and investing in social empowerment, the current system needs to change. It needs to change for farmers who are producing with non-organic and industrial methods. It is time to make a transformation. With the guidance of Joel Salatin, Michael Pollan, and Will Allen, Dickson Despommier, all of whom are major supporters and voices in the food movement, the country can change the face of farming together. Along with the more simplistic, natural practices of Joel Salatin, the futuristic side of vertical farming can use technologies of today to create an entirely new system that allows practical methods for cities and countries with poor soil, weather difficulty, etc. Both vertical farming and methods from sustainable farms around the globe can change our world for the better with small steps and large outcomes!
What do you believe? Many claim that a sustainable, organic, and local food system is not practical with the current need for productivity and distribution. However, agriculture that employs complimentary practices and local systems gives us hope for environmental health, economic stability, and social empowerment! Using the best sustainable, organic, and local farming methods can help us overcome the food crisis we are currently facing. Actually, our current food system has the least efficiency in terms of both production and distribution. As a result, these industry practices are threatening peoples' physical and economic health, as well as the biological survival of the planet. Companies are opting for “cheap” food, high productivity and easy distribution, when in reality these are far from what is needed.
Since the 1960s, there has been an exponential increase in obesity rates in the U.S. Before the 1960s, obesity was at less than 9.7%, but today has increased dramatically to approximately 32% (Bird). These perhaps food caused health problems have cost billions of dollars. In 1958, the beginning of the industrial food revolution, the number of diagnosed diabetics was 1.6 million and was at a low percentage of 0.93. However, by 2010 this percentage increased by more than seven times to 6.95 and increased the total diagnosed diabetics to more than 21 million people (“Long-Term Trends in Diagnosed Diabetes”). In a 15 year long study on 3,031 men and women, University of Minnesota researchers found that those who ate fast food twice or more a week gained an extra 10 pounds and were two times as likely to have pre-diabeteic diseases related to insulin resistance, compared to those who ate fast food less than one time a week (''Fast Food Facts: Effects and Health Risks of a Junk Food Diet"). In 1970, Americans spent $6 billion on fast food. However, by 2000, it skyrocketed to $110 billion as the industrial food system progressed (Boyers). Author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser noted that “Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars. They spend more money on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music –– combined” (Schlosser). This exemplifies how the evolution of this system has contributed to the increase in negative health effects. It has also cost individuals, the entire health system, and the economy more money than is available. If the population can stray away from an industrial food system, away from processed foods and the idea that this current system is the only way, people throughout the nation may have a chance at a healthier lifestyle.
Not only is this system causing negative health consequences for people, it is creating detrimental environmental effects. Farmers are overusing pesticides and fertilizers because both are necessary in a farming system that is based on mono-cropping. Mono-cropping (growing large quantities of one crop) is the central practice of the industrial food system because it allows industrial harvesting methods, production of processed foods, and taking advantage of government subsidies. Mono-cropping not only destroys the soil, but also makes the plants more susceptible to pests. The vast amount of pesticides and fertilizers cause several problems. Soil becomes contaminated, harming both the microorganisms that fertile soil depends on, and the animals that eat the now-contaminated bugs. Pesticides and fertilizers are also seeping into water sources and creating acid rain which destroys forests and oceans alike. Excess nitrogen is evaporating and releasing more gas into the air than is healthy for the planet. In a seminar with several other food activists, Vandana Shiva talked about the “real food crisis.” Shiva is “a physicist and an ecologist, activist, writer and founder and director of Navdanya, an organization based in India, whose mission is to defend nature and rights of people to food, water and dignified lively-hoods.” She pointed out that “If you destroy the fertility of the soil, you cannot feed the world” (Fernald, Kummer, Patel, Petrini, Shiva). However, if farmers planted a variety of crops together (known as “inter-cropping”), the soil would be more vital and the plants would be more resistant to predators and diseases. For example, when grains that require nitrogen are planted along with nitrogen-fixing plants (such as legumes), the need for fertilizers and pesticides is decreased or eliminated.
As much as the pubic is led to believe that this system is working for them, it isn't. Individuals and communities are relying on the government and big companies to supply food they don't have a connection to anymore. Consumers are absent from the process of food production. Citizens have no control over what they are eating and in turn are allowing themselves to eat food they know little about. Shiva claims that “food is no more about nourishing our bodies, it's about trade, commodities, and profiteering.” That is where the real crisis begins. The “entire nature of food has changed” and food is no longer seen as a source of nutrition and energy, but is for the pure sake of profit (Fernald, Kummer, Patel, Petrini, Shiva).
Despite this, there is hope! The country needs a system that can work together to create a stronger sustainable world. Both vertical farming and the methods of Joel Salatin, demonstrate how realistic and attainable these goals really are. Joel Salatin is an “entrepreneur and owner of Polyface Farms which is known for its unique approach to sustainable farming”. He is “featured in Food, Inc., Omnivore’s Dilemma, and is the author of Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World” ("#1212 Creative Farming"). By creating a natural cycle without harmful chemicals or GMOs, the environment can be saved from an inevitable downfall, as well as the suffering economy and even the health of consumers.
Joel Salatin's farm, Polyface Farms, directly shows the effectiveness of complimentary agricultural systems. One example of this, is his process of natural soil fertilization by moving cows from field to field to graze. After grazing on one field, they are moved to another to allow the fields to recuperate. A few days later, chickens are placed in the same field the cows previously grazed on to eat larvae from the cows' waste. The chickens then emit their own waste to further fertilize the soil (Pollan). This process is beneficial for the entire system. Because the cows and chickens eat grass and larvae, Joel Salatin doesn't have to buy feed for the animals, not only benefiting him, but benefiting the the livestock with a healthy diet. This process also benefits the soil, in turn, giving the plants much more nutrition. It is a win win. This system directly mimics the natural cycles of life and uses no pesticides, fertilizers or antibiotics and does not pollute or create any harm! These kinds of systems, once in place, benefit the entire ecological system and eliminate waste. The “Farming Systems Trial” conducted by the Rodale Institute is “America’s longest running, side- by-side comparison of organic and chemical agriculture” and was started in 1981.
This study found that:
- Organic yields match conventional yields.
- Organic outperforms conventional in years of drought.
- Organic farming systems build rather than deplete soil organic matter, making it a more sustainable system.
- Organic farming uses 45% less energy and is more efficient.
- Conventional systems produce 40% more greenhouse gases.
- Organic farming systems are more profitable than conventional.
In the long run the nation is accomplishing less with a conventional system than it can with organic and sustainable practices.
A more factory based system known as vertical farming has become popular in the last few years. It is a “proposed agricultural technique involving large-scale agriculture in urban high-rises or 'farm-scrapers'” (Allease), (Vertical farming). Like Polyface, vertical farming recycles the waste, but in a technologically advanced way. Dickson Despommier, author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century explained the “Vertical Farm Tool Box” in a TED Talk presentation. It consists of hydroponics, aeroponics, drip irrigation, waste-to-energy, automation, water re-capture, passive energy, and LED lighting. In using the many modern technologies, like skyscrapers, it is allowing us to eliminate agricultural runoff, produce crops year round and prevent crop loss due to severe weather events. It uses 70% less water and no agro-chemicals or fossil fuels and allows repair of damaged ecosystems. The advantages of this practical farming method are astounding. Vertical farming can also remediate gray water, supply fresh produce for inner city dwellers, use abandoned city properties, grow bio-fuels and plant-derived drugs, and create new jobs (TedxTalks). Not only does vertical farming have direct advantages, but in the long run, this form of farming will improve the current environmental state, create economic stability, and create a connection to where one's food comes from and establish independence. The population will need much less guidance from huge corporations and more from their own individual communities. This will finally lead to the final goal of social empowerment.
These two methods have another benefit as well, which has to do with the efficiency of distribution. Because these systems are local, they can be distributed without the long distances that come with conventional practices.
In order to accomplish the nations goals of improving environmental health, providing economic stability, and investing in social empowerment, the current system needs to change. It needs to change for farmers who are producing with non-organic and industrial methods. It is time to make a transformation. With the guidance of Joel Salatin, Michael Pollan, and Will Allen, Dickson Despommier, all of whom are major supporters and voices in the food movement, the country can change the face of farming together. Along with the more simplistic, natural practices of Joel Salatin, the futuristic side of vertical farming can use technologies of today to create an entirely new system that allows practical methods for cities and countries with poor soil, weather difficulty, etc. Both vertical farming and methods from sustainable farms around the globe can change our world for the better with small steps and large outcomes!