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The Backlash Against the Eat-Local Movement
Posted by:
Dr. Mercola
August 21 2007 |
26,292
views
The budding “eat local” movement that has spurred increased interest in farmer’s markets and other sources of locally grown foods is now attracting critiques from some who question its validity.
While supporters claim that eating local is better for the environment, human health, and the economic lives of small farmers, critiques, which have recently graced the pages of
The Economist
,
The New York Times
and other big-name media outlets, say this is not so.
Specifically, those seeking to debunk the so-called “ethical foods movement” say that:
Organic farming methods consume more energy than conventional ones
Food bought locally often creates more greenhouse-gas emissions than food hauled long distances
Efforts to reduce “food miles,” or the distance your food travels from the farm to your plate, may support higher carbon emissions at the source
While the local-food movement is gaining steam, the vast majority of food still travels well over 1,200 miles from farm to dinner plate, and food imports and exports have been increasing dramatically since 1999.
The idea of ethical eating has also not yet transferred to Wall Street, where shares of agribusiness powerhouses like Monsanto, Tyson, and Smithfield -- all of which are geared toward industrial agriculture and long-haul distribution -- are at all-time highs.
Grist August 16, 2007
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The fact that the
movement toward sustainable agriculture
and ethically grown food is making headlines in major media outlets like
The New York Times
is great news, even if it is being criticized.
Why?
If you look at the
homepage of this site
, you will see the three stages that TRUTH goes through:
First, it is ridiculed
Next, it is violently opposed
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident
Returning to the natural farming methods of our ancestors, upon which the local-food movement is based, is right now in the first stage; it is being ridiculed.
I suspect that much more opposition will come out attempting to debunk the value of locally grown food -- particularly from food giants like
Monsanto
who stand to lose big-time if their factory-farming warehouses are no longer viewed favorably -- before it will be accepted as truth.
Right now,
our food supply is crumbling
.
Where animals were once fed on pasture, and their waste helped that pasture grow, we now have animals feeding on feedlots, and the problems with fertilizer (which are synthetic chemicals) and what to do with all the waste. Meanwhile, rather than returning to a more simple solution, modern-day agriculture turns to technological fixes, like chemical fertilizers rather than natural ones, and
irradiating meat
rather than cleaning up the farms. Today well over 50 percent of the food we eat is produced by factory-farming methods. Small, organic, local farms are quickly disappearing here in America.
Sad but true, multi-national corporations are forcing small farmers out of business.
The good news is that increasing numbers of you are demanding change. You are frequenting farmer’s markets, joining community-supported agriculture programs, and choosing to purchase locally grown foods at your supermarket.
Aside from the benefits to the environment (fewer fossil fuels are used when you buy locally, for instance), locally grown food is much fresher than food transported 1,000 or more miles, and that means more nutrients and better taste for you and your family. There is also something inherently comforting about getting to know the farmer who is growing your food, especially with all the recent
food safety scares
. No need to worry about where your food comes from when you can speak face-to-face with the farmer!
So keep up the great work!
Your dedication to eating locally grown, humanely raised food is making a difference.
To find a sustainable agriculture group in your area, check out this compilation of
family farms, farmer’s markets, and more
, and forward it on to your locally minded friends and family as well!
Related Links:
Why You're Better Off Buying Local Than Organic
Chisan-Chishou: Fresh, Local Produce the Norm in Japan
Local is the ''New'' Organic
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