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One of the dangers of large economies of scale with processed foods, is that the companies that produce these foods accumulate market power and then force the e
by throwawaysea 6y ago
One of the dangers of large economies of scale with processed foods, is that the companies that produce these foods accumulate market power and then force the entire agricultural industry towards producing particular crops as cheaply as possible. This has not only led to a drastic reduction in variety and diversity of foods that people eat, but large-scale crop monocultures also have significant environmental implications. And the continual search for lower prices means we're growing ridiculously high-yield crops that are disrupting local water balance and draining water tables like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer
- Gibbon1 6y agoI've read that the amount of protein in wheat has been declining for a century. I remember 40 years ago rye bread was really dense and rich. Now it takes like rye flavored white bread. Also bread now tastes suspiciously sweet to me.
- throwawaysea 6y agoOther common staples like corn and rice had hundreds of varieties in the past, many of which are extinct or only exist in a seed vault. The same is true for fruits. If you travel to particular developing countries or even just to Hawaii (where native varieties are protected), you'll see how different their fruits and vegetables are - both in variety but also smell and taste. I'm sure that has nutritional implications that simplistic reductionist nutrition approaches can't capture.