Week #5

February 6^th, 2013

Again for me, I equate a negative connotation to anything dubbed as “sustainable” or “organic”, even farming. Although the premise may be genuine, I cannot get past government involvement and the fire and brimstone environmentalists that have created widespread panic and fear.

That being said let me get to the root of the questions here. Sustainable farming basics are less pesticides and a more efficacious way to grow crops and utilize water better. Ecological principles are the very premise in organic farming. With the population on the rise on a finite space we are running out of room and resources to be able to feed the world properly. Organic and sustainable farming is trying to reach out to traditional farmers and have them re-think the way they farm to make safer food more effectively and still be profitable. 

This way of farming keeps people and the environment in mind and shows how to utilize water better, try safer pesticides on crops (which are safer for human consumption and for the land and water as well), and create healthier fruits and vegetables for consumers.

I don’t buy organic or “naturally” labeled food as I believe the movement is a fallacy. The only part I liked out of the three videos was the second one - Food and You when Dr. Bruce Chassy said “there is no evidence that organic food is healthier, nutritious, safer, or sustainable.” Again, this very statement goes back to something I have mentioned before – the science isn’t there. It seems to me that facts are twisted to suit theories because some side wants it to fit their agenda. That being said, I do not deny the fact that we could use better farming techniques and utilize our resources better, but on volition, not government intervention and regulation.

In all honesty, I don’t know what “feeling connected to the food system” means. I shop weekly at Wal*Mart or Publix and buy food we enjoy eating. But to answer the question – sure I am connected to the food system because I need sustenance in order to survive.

If there were space on campus for a garden I would not participate. Not because I am a poor sport but because my husband has the proverbial “green thumb” and finds value in growing a garden for us as a family.