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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] The way we produce, distribute, transport and prepare our food

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: Emery Mitchamore <emitch@att.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] The way we produce, distribute, transport and prepare our food
  • Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 17:32:46 -0600

Is it correct that most of this happened after WW2?

On Dec 9, 2009, at 4:21 PM, Tradingpost wrote:


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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E. E. "Mitch"  Mitchamore










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