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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] The way we produce, distribute, transport and prepare our food
  • Date: Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:21:47 -0700


FOOD
http://www.communitysolution.org/food.html

The way we produce, distribute, transport and prepare our food is a major
consumer of energy in the U.S. In fact, the heavily industrialized food chain
accounts for about 20% of the U.S. fossil fuel use, or 400 gallons of oil
equivalents per person each year. While the food crisis has flared in many
parts of the world over the last few years, that crisis that will only deepen
as energy prices rise. Here are some surprising facts about our food system
that everybody should know:

» Approximately 10 Calories of fossil fuels are currently required to produce
1 Calorie of the food eaten in the U.S. – a direct result of our highly
industrialized process (pesticides, fertilizers, farming equipment,
manufacturing, storage, and transportation).

» To produce one Calorie of plant protein requires 2.2 calories of fossil
fuel energy. To produce one Calorie of factory-raised beef protein requires
25 Calories of fossil fuel energy.

» Less than four percent of agricultural land in the U.S. is dedicated to
highly nutritious foods like legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables. More than
85% is devoted to crops that are either fed to animals or used in highly
processed food.

» Because the U.S. government’s farm policy favors large farms and
monocultures like wheat, corn and soybeans, the price of fruits and
vegetables climbed approximately 40 percent between 1985 and 2000, while the
price of soft drinks (sweetened by corn syrup) has declined by approximately
23%.

» Livestock are a major emitter of greenhouse gasses (18% worldwide).
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, more greenhouse gasses
are generated from livestock production than from transportation.

Solution: The choice of the food we eat has a major impact on the environment
and changing how we eat can contribute directly to a less energy-intensive
way-of-life. Garden, eat seasonally, avoid highly processed foods, sodas and
canned soft drinks, avoid factory-raised meat, and eat locally-grown and/or
organic food as often as possible.








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