As a nation, we need to reestablish our priorities, namely relative to valuing that without which we could not survive.
Left out: How much of the fresh produce that we grow never makes it off the farm?
"A closer look shows us that Americans are tossing 52% of the nation’s nutritious fruits and vegetables[i] – wasting produce, more than any other type of food product, including seafood, meat, grains and dairy, at nearly every level across the supply chain. Some of this massive produce loss is happening well before it reaches retailers, as perfectly edible produce is literally being left on the field or sent to the landfill. And many of these good fruits and vegetables are never even harvested."
If we can create a culture that values our natural resources, then we can feed more with less land and fewer non-natural resources, even with populations continuing to increase.
'Peak farmland' is here, crop area to diminish
"The report, supplied to Reuters by Ausubel, projected that almost 150 million hectares (370 million acres) could be restored to natural conditions such as forest by 2060. That is also equivalent to 1.5 times the area of Egypt or 10 times the size of Iowa. It said the global arable land and permanent crop areas rose from 1.37 billion hectares (3.38 billion acres) in 1961 to 1.53 billion (3.78 billion acres) in 2009. It projected a fall to 1.38 billion hectares (3.41 billion acres) in 2060."
This is made ever more important because the ways we currently seek to provide health protection to our populations are starting to grow into health issues for us as well.
New study finds link between chemical pollutants and food and environmental allergies
"The study reported that high levels of dichlorophenols, a chemical used in pesticides and to chlorinate water, when found in the human body, are associated with food allergies. 'Our research shows that high levels of dichlorophenol-containing pesticides can possibly weaken food tolerance in some people, causing food allergy,' said allergist Elina Jerschow, M.D., M.Sc., ACAAI fellow and lead study author. 'This chemical is commonly found in pesticides used by farmers and consumer insect and weed control products, as well as tap water.'"
We must begin, both individually, as a nation, and as a civilization, to find smarter ways of protecting our food, air, and water systems while delivering them to a growing world. To do this, we must have complete information on what we are doing, as well as the impacts and pitfalls.
The FDA is holding back data on farm antibiotics use — and plans to keep doing so
"Almost exactly a year ago, the FDA withdrew its decades-on-the-books attempt to exert regulatory control over agricultural antibiotic use, saying that it would instead pursue 'voluntary' approaches to getting agriculture to reduce its vast use of antibiotics. (An approach that the FDA’s own staff worried, in internal memos, might not work.) Since then, many people in consumer advocacy and public health have expressed skepticism that agriculture would respond to a voluntary approach. But it’s hard to see how agriculture can even attempt to respond if the FDA doesn’t ask."
Of at least equal importance, we must also value the hard work of those who struggle to keep us fed. This value must be reflected in a desire to make sure that everyone who toils to bring food to our tables has an equal chance at the same quality of life that we enjoy...with no caveats.
Will 2013 bring more rights to farmworkers?
"Farmworkers, exempt from some of the nation’s most basic labor laws, like minimum wage and overtime pay, work in one of the most hazardous occupations in the country. They face risks from strenuous physical labor, often for long hours in extremely hot climates; pesticide exposure; and their work often involves dangerous equipment, often without proper training or safety measures."
Happy Friday! And to those who celebrate...Merry Christmas!
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