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The only reasonable answer I can think of is to start spending more on food. Either we start doing it now by supporting sustainable agriculture practices - loca

The only reasonable answer I can think of is to start spending more on food. Either we start doing it now by supporting sustainable agriculture practices - local farms, foods treated without pesticides, etc, or we'll do it later when the whole engine grinds to a halt. I've noticed a trend among practical/engineering minded people to dismiss organic foods as wa-wa nonsense, but buying them over slightly cheaper, industrially farmed alternatives is actually one of the best things you can do as a consumer to help the situation. "Organic" as a term is USDA certified and includes things like not using pesticides/antibiotics, including buffer zones around farms to prevent runoff, etc. The ongoing shift is driven by market forces; people want more food, cheaper, and so industrial agriculture adapts to the market, producing huge volumes of monocultured crops with all the tenuous methods described in the article. The only way to reverse the trend is to change the market - by a conscious decision on the part of consumers to spend more than the absolute minimum possible, for food that is better on every level - environmentally, nutritionally, and subjectively (seriously, pasture raised eggs are delicious).

brd 12y ago
For the conscientious observer I think this is the best approach to take. I lived in VT for a while where it was very easy to support local, organic farms and where I am now I frequent the small organic food shop for my needs. For those of us fortunate enough to be able to afford to spend a bit more on food, I think its a wonderful means of helping move the needle in the right direction. For me personally, its just nowhere near enough. I've gone so far as offering to invest in farm land for friends who were interested in trying out sustainable farming practices (they ended up not finding land convenient enough and moved on to other endeavors) .
slavik81 12y ago
> "Organic" as a term is USDA certified and includes things like not using pesticides That's not true. Organic foods are prohibited from being grown with synthetic pesticides, but non-synthetics are allowable.
scott_s 12y ago
The supposed health benefits of organic is wa-wa nonsense. Multiple studies have showed no health benefits. And as slavik81 points out, "organic" farming is allowed to use pesticides, just not synthetic pesticides. But I'm unaware of the impact of the other provisions, such as buffer zones and crop rotations. Are you aware of any studies which look into their impact?

brd 12y ago

For the conscientious observer I think this is the best approach to take. I lived in VT for a while where it was very easy to support local, organic farms and where I am now I frequent the small organic food shop for my needs. For those of us fortunate enough to be able to afford to spend a bit more on food, I think its a wonderful means of helping move the needle in the right direction. For me personally, its just nowhere near enough. I've gone so far as offering to invest in farm land for friends who were interested in trying out sustainable farming practices (they ended up not finding land convenient enough and moved on to other endeavors) .

slavik81 12y ago

> "Organic" as a term is USDA certified and includes things like not using pesticides That's not true. Organic foods are prohibited from being grown with synthetic pesticides, but non-synthetics are allowable.

scott_s 12y ago

The supposed health benefits of organic is wa-wa nonsense. Multiple studies have showed no health benefits. And as slavik81 points out, "organic" farming is allowed to use pesticides, just not synthetic pesticides. But I'm unaware of the impact of the other provisions, such as buffer zones and crop rotations. Are you aware of any studies which look into their impact?