Food For Thought
Ever questioned the viability of your food? Where is this grown? How? Is it safe? Well the modern food industry doesn’t want you to question because then they can continue producing food through industrial agriculture. The world’s population is ever-increasing, and a greater population means higher demand. But is it worth risking losing biodiversity to mass-produce this food?
Industrial Agriculture
Industrial agriculture perceives farms as factories. “The goal is to increase yield (such as bushels per acre) and decrease costs of production, usually by exploiting economies of scale.”[1] Industrial agriculture’s goal is solely to up production and lower costs due to the fact that there is such high demand for food.
Farmers use a technique called monoculture; (feeding animals only one food to minimize costs of production and save money.) In this situation the term “livestock,” (to refer to these animals) is more accurate. These livestock are produced in bulk so that the food companies can get more food quicker onto the market. Livestock aren’t just for food, but they also include sheep for fur or deer for leather. But by using monoculture to produce livestock, we are actually getting rid of the diversity of certain natural foods and animals by focusing our attention and mass-producing these same things artificially. Consequences include health hazards as well as a lack of certain traits not only passed down in these species but in human beings also.
Is There Hope?
Yes there is and it is the completely contrary to what is mentioned above! It is called sustainable agriculture and it benefits everyone. It is environmentally conscientious by more frequently using renewable resources, but at the same time striving to get the best bargain and not taking advantage of less fortunate communities. It focuses on naturally growing food and not harming evolution, the possibilities of the future, not just in animals but in human growth and development as well. By doing all of this, this form of agriculture is the greatest way to sustain our resources while making profits with the least amount of harm done to animals, our communities and wallets.
Looking Towards the Future
Since the 1950s, organizations in Canada
[1] "Food and Agriculture." Union of Concerned Scientists. Union of Concerned Scientists, 05/17/07. Web. 16 Feb 2011. <http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/impacts_industrial_agriculture/industrial-agriculture-features.html>.
References
1. "What is Sustainable Agriculture?." University of Carolina Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. University of Carolina, 2006. Web. 16 Feb 2011. <http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm>.
2. "Livestock Farms." The Inside Scoop on Farms. Think Quest USA, n.d. Web. 16 Feb 2011. <http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312380/livestock.htm>.
3. MacRae, Rod. "A History of Sustainable Agriculture." Ecological Agriculture Projects. McGill University, 1990. Web. 16 Feb 2011. http://eap.mcgill.ca/AASA_1.htm.
4. Steck, Ted. "Human Population Explosion." The Encyclopedia of Earth. Environmental Indormation Coalition, 14 Dec 2010. Web. 16 Feb 2011. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Human_population_explosion?topic=54245.
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