Backyard gardening has always been popular to obtain fresh and nearly free produce in the urban landscape. However with the concerns over GMO (genetically modified foods) as well as pesticide use, and simply the cost of fresh produce in these hard economic times backyard gardening is giving way to a trend towards urban farming. This trend is not as carefree as the traditional backyard garden and begs that more organic means of pest and weed control be used in lieu of more hazardous chemicals. However, despite the sometimes staggering effort required the benefits of urban farming are becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. Urban farming is not a new idea. During World War II a message was sent out to our communities as well as the allies to start Victory Gardens. (Putnam, Cosper) The premise was to avoid a shortage of fresh food and relieve some the pressure on the nation to feed its citizens, by supplying yourself and others in your community from your own backyard. Citizens were encouraged to arm themselves with health from their self-provided produce. They were also encouraged to use the money that had been earmarked for buying those pricey vegetables, and now homegrown and virtually free, to buy war bonds to further demonstrate their patriotism. It was an idea that caught on in a big way and was widely practiced both here in the U. S. as well as in England. (1942) Today when you can walk into any grocery and see aisles full of colorful produce it doesn’t seem possible that there could be a shortage of food. However, when you consider that California, where a major amount of our fresh produce comes from, is currently experiencing a major drought we may quickly find ourselves without the choices we have grown accus... ... middle of paper ... ...would have no trouble locating a booming market that is increasing annually to keep up with demand for more healthy alternatives that are not as hard on our planet. More organic urban farming is friendlier to the environment and has been embraced across the nation. References: Putnam, J-M. & Cosper, L. 1942. Gardens For Victory. San Diego. Harcourt Brace & Co. Office of the Governor of California. 2014. Governor Brown Declares Drought State of Emergency. California: Office of the Governor of California. Horton, R. Genetically modified foods: “absurd” concern or welcome dialogue? The Lancet, Vol. 354, Iss. 9187, 1314-1315. Dahl, R. To label or not to label: California prepares to vote on genetically engineered foods. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120, A358-61. Whitman, D. Genetically modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? CSA Discovery Guides. 1-13.
A substantial percentage of the work on the ethics of genetically modified food has primarily centralized on its potentially nocuous effects on human health and on the rights to label
Organic fertilisers and natural pest control methods minimise the impact of viticulture on the environment. In recent years there has been a considerable movement by some growers towards an organic approach. This is as a result of consumer driven trends and pressure to minimise the environmental impact of viticulture.
Do you know what you're really voting for? Iowan farmer Reg Clause suggests you may not in his column, “Say ‘no’ to GMO labeling.” Reminding readers that general election day has come, he attempts to convince us that a certain law should be voted against. The proposed legislation would mandate all foods that contain genetically modified organisms, also know as GMOs, to display a warning label on their packaging. He argues that this would be detrimental to the good name of these types of foods when they do not deserve to be shamed. I agree that the genetically engineered crops should not be labeled, but not because that would tarnish their name. However, the reasoning for my opinion comes from the perspective that it would not only be impractical
A non-GMO label doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy”. White sugar, flour, and processed ingredients if not genetically modified are considered non GMO. Recently Cheerios made their ingredients GMO free. This label made Cheerios seems as a “healthy conscience choice” when in fact they are not healthy at all. The truth is that this breakfast cereal is highly processed and is best to be avoided despite the “healthy halo” of being approved by the National Heart Association and GMO free. The truth appears on the nutrition label and the ingredients (Wartman). “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it” The voluntary labeling places a burden on the consumer. The average Americans are forced to navigate confusing and cluttered food landscape” (Wartman). A mandatory labeling law is vital to give clear and concise information to citizens.
On the heart (center) of California is a flat area with miles and miles of farms and up to 230 different crops. The central valley agriculture is essential to the United States; it not only delivers almost half of the produce but also helps the economy by also giving more job opportunities (California Department of food and agriculture, 2014). Many families depend on the central valley agriculture to survive economically in the United States. It is a well-known fact that rain and snows in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are a very important element in the central valley. No rain in the central valley can cause many devastating issues to occur quickly. Recently in the year of 2013 California received less rainfall than years before. The small amount of water the central valley is receiving is harming not only to the land but humans and animals as well. It’s destroying the habitats of animals with forest fires caused from the dry spells occurring. The central valley is going through a drought, so much that around this time of year the central valley usually accumulates enough rain for the necessities in the valley, agriculture for example. This year, however, has been different, the central valley hasn’t received enough water and this has caused a drought in the valley. Water is an important element in this world for not only human life, but for the environment in general, a shortage of water supply can bring issues to the environment and those living in it. The central valley holds the largest percent of class one soil, not only that, the valley grows a third of all the produce being grown in the United States, that’s more than 230 crops that are being grown in the central valley. However, this drought isn’t only affecting the resident...
Until the government creates mandates for issuing labels on foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, there are measures that can be taken by common citizens and supporters of GMO labeling in order to keep Americans safe in the meantime. Since “study after study points to potential health risks” (“Whole Foods Market”), supporters need to raise awareness amongst the rest of society in order to generate a large group that can begin to press the government to create a law to handle the issue. It is in “the state’s interest [to] protect consumers from false or potentially misleading communication or prevent consumers from suffering unwitting harms” (Adler). Moreover, the government must be the one to put an official end to the lack of
Food is an essential part of everyday life without it one could not survive. Every day we make choices on what we put in to our bodies. There are countless varieties of food to choose from to meet the diverse tastes of the increasing population. Almost all food requires a label explaining the ingredients and the nutritional value allowing consumers to make informed decisions on what they are consuming. However, many may not be considering where that food is coming from or how it has been produced. Unfortunately, there is more to food than meets the eye. Since 1992, “ the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled, based on woefully limited data, that genetically modified foods were ‘substantially equivalent’ to their non-GM counterparts” (Why to Support Labeling). GM food advocates have promised to create more nutritious food that will be able to grow in harsh climate conditions and eventually put an end to world hunger in anticipation of the growing population. There is very little evidence to support these claims and study after study has proven just the opposite. GM crops are not only unsafe to consume, but their growing practices are harmful to the environment, and multinational corporations are putting farmers out of business.
Returning to organic farming, which our grandparents referred to as farming, and reclaiming our food is not only our choice, it is our right. Conventional farming practices are responsible for many negative health and environmental issues. One of the main issues is the creation of monocultures in the farming environment. Specifically, growing the same species of plants or animals in mass quantities without variation every season is not natural. Monocultures do not exist in nature (Pollan 67).
“Genetically modified foods are a "Pandora's box" of known and unknown risks to humans and the environment. They have been forced onto the American public by multinational biotech and agribusiness corporations without adequate oversight and regulation by the United States government (Driscoll, SallyMorley, David C).”Genetically Modified Food is food which has been chemically altered by scientists during the production process to give the food more nutrients, better appearance, and a longer shelf-life (Rich, Alex K.Warhol, Tom). The importance of this issue is that these GMO’s can actually have a negative effect in our society in general. It could mutate in a negative way and cause cancer or other diseases. Genetically modified food should be strictly controlled due to its various detrimental effects on the environment, human health, and potentially insect/animal effects.
For years organic farmers and conventional farmers have feuded over which is superior. Organic farmers argue that their product is more eco-friendly because they do not use the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers conventional farmer’s use. Conventional farmers argue that their product is healthier and yields more. People tend to have stereotypes regarding the two types of farmers. Organic farmers are usually thought of as liberal, hippy, tree-huggers while conventional farmers are usually thought of as right-wing, industrialists. Obviously, some do adhere to this stereotype, but a majority of these farmers are normal, hardworking people. Although these farmers, both believe in their methods, one is no better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is no true superior method of crop farming.
With the world’s population continuing to increase, the demand for food is higher than ever. This increase in food demand also calls for more efficient ways of growing and providing the food. Two methods that are very controversial are the organic and conventional method. While many people support the organic method because of its known benefits, others feel that it is an over inflated industry that cheats consumers out of their money. But recently many studies have disproved those critics. These studies prove that Organic food is a better choice than conventional because it is better for the environment, avoids the use of chemicals, and is generally more beneficial.
As the global population continues to rise, the amount of food needed to feed the people will increase as well. Two types of agriculture systems have been the backbone for crop production for decades if not centuries: conventional and organic agriculture— both methods could not be any more different. Conventional agriculture, a method that uses synthetic chemical pesticides, technologies or additives, and practices that are unsustainable is the leading producer for our food. On the other side of spectrum, organic agriculture generally, performed in a much smaller scale, does not use synthetic chemicals and utilize methods that are environmentally sound. Most conventional
There is an increased demand for organic food restaurants in the recent years and many people are leaning in more for organic produce items. There are many organic restaurants for those that want to eat healthier. There has been a high demand in recent years for organically grown food according to statistics from the USDA reports. In 1990 sales of organic food and beverages grew from $1 billion, to $21.1 billion in 2008 and are on track to reach $23 billion in 2009. The considerable increase in demand can be attributed to the common belief that organically produce food are healthier for human health, and also best for our ecological community (Crinnion 4). Organic farming management relies on developing biological diversity in the field to disrupt the habitat for pest organisms for maintaining soil fertility (Crinnion 6). Since bagged fertilizer is not used, organic farming reduces the amount of groundwater pollution and soil erosion while increasing the biodiversity of animal, plant, and microbial life in a given biome. In the past, people who made food choices based on health, nature, and ethics experienced ridicule and were known as extremists, while those with chemical based diets
Because organic farms tend to be local businesses, many of the jobs are held within the community and much of the income made by the organic farms are spent on other local services or goods. This creates a cycle helping rural communities flourish due to the lack of corporate jobs in these areas, “Farm families are able to hold on to their land and can offer their children the option of continuing to work the land, decreasing the likelihood of urban migration by young people in the community.” (Inouye, Alena, McCauley) It seems though in the future with the increase in demand of organic farming, people may migrate into these rural areas because of the increase in work and labor needed. Helping the economy is in important job and something that is healthy and also helps economic flow is vital. With the easy methods that go into growing food the organic way we can not only rural communities in America, but also throughout the world. Explained in Leu and Andre’s article from Global Resources, “The reality is that the world produces more than enough food to feed everyone and has more than enough suitable agricultural land to do it. Unfortunately, due to inefficient, unfair distribution systems and poor farming methods, millions of people do not receive adequate nutrition.” The fact that we can feed the whole world is amazing, there is land all over the world and where
The global population in the year 2050 is expected to be nine billion and the agricultural demand is expected to double. With the current population already over seven billion people, there are hunger issues all around the world (“New” par. 1). How are we going to deal with food shortages in the future? With less land to work with, strains on the soils, and the lack of water, it is getting harder for the farmers of the world to support our growing population. These complications are making it harder for farmers to produce quality, affordable food. To help the crops grow better, farmers use fertilizers and chemical sprays to enhance growth and control the weeds. Farming in the United States is a relevant business because it supplies people with food, provides people with jobs maintaining the used equipment with the new equipment being much more expensive, and it provides research for more efficient ways on how to feed the world.