Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Grow Your Own
http://www.counterpunch.org/gray02172010.html
Urban Farming's Challenge to Corporate Agriculture
February 17, 2010 By HEATHER GRAY and K. RASHID NURI


It seems everyone is questioning the implications of the most recent economic 
downturn. Then, of course, we’ve seen corporate America reap the benefits of 
its own disgrace with our tax dollars and, therefore, at the expense of all 
of us. Corporate America along with government support just keeps hitting us 
over the head. It’s too much! While, there’s been criticism of Wall Street 
and huge bonuses to the likes of AIG, one sector that’s not been the focus of 
attention lately is corporate agribusiness and it also should be intensely 
scrutinized. It seems, however, we’ve gone through a transition economically 
but we’re beginning to see some changes locally that are encouraging, perhaps 
partly in response to all this. The interest in urban agriculture and more 
attention to food issues in America is a case in point and a counterpoint to 
corporate agribusiness.

Understanding the history of agriculture in America and the advent of 
industrialized corporate agribusiness is important to help all of us 
understand where we are now and what needs to be done. We will touch upon it 
here, but only briefly. But how corporate agribusiness weaves into our lives 
at virtually all levels has been insidious. It’s time to turn this around.

The United States is an urban country. Recent demographics reveal that 81% of 
the U.S. population lives in cities or suburbs of cities. One of the 
realities of this, however, is that many of the folks living in urban areas 
are former farmers or families of farmers who have been forced off the land 
in the 20th century – particularly since post-Second World War. This has been 
the result of an industrialized and increasingly globalized agriculture in 
America.

Corporate involvement in agriculture has also largely been intensified since 
post-Second World War. Some refer to it inappropriately as the “green 
revolution” – it should instead be called the “corporate chemical 
revolution”. It has led to the industrialization even of the basics of the 
food system and that being seeds. Whoever controls the seeds controls 
agriculture and farmers have historically been the caretakers of this most 
important and invaluable resource. Corporate America, the likes of Monsanto 
and others, have patented and genetically modified many of these precious 
seeds and by doing so have taken farmers, as much as possible, out of 
competition and away from being the caretakers of our food system.

When making the above statement about seeds, however, it’s important to 
mention also that many farmers and community groups throughout the world have 
taken action to counter this trend by saving seeds and therefore protecting 
our heritage seeds as much as possible. Organic farmers will access this 
important resource or save the seeds themselves for the next year’s crop as 
farmers have always done historically and that corporate agribusiness has 
been trying to prevent.

Sadly, the American public has not been vigilant in protecting itself or 
others throughout the world from corporate agribusiness much less from 
corporate supported genetically modified seeds. This has been coupled with an 
increased reliance on chemicals in our food system – even in some of the 
seeds themselves. Europe, for example, is wisely banning GMO seeds and has 
for some time. European researchers are now indicating that kidney and liver 
problems can result from GMO corn from seeds produced by the Monsanto. This 
will be debated for some time as Monsanto will do whatever it wants to do in 
twisting the facts to benefit itself – the company has generally had the free 
ride in America. The point is, however, the Europeans use the “precautionary” 
principle for their population. They don’t let products possibly considered 
unsafe into the food system – they will take the necessary precautionary 
steps before allowing potentially unsafe foods into their countries. Why 
don’t we in America apply the same principle? Why should we let Monsanto 
experiment on us and others throughout the world?

Americans have essentially handed over their food and well being to corporate 
agribusiness. We’re all vulnerable because of that. We’ve seen our 
communities become more obese, with more high blood pressure, cancers and a 
whole host of problems we are now trying to contend with. “Food” writer 
Michael Pollin wisely makes the point that when going to the grocery stores 
people should only buy what’s on the periphery of the store because that’s 
were all the fresh and healthy foods are generally located. That’s what we 
need to eat, he says, and not all the junk food from corporate America that 
have all kinds of additives and sodium and chemicals that have been partly 
responsible for destroying our health. How can we change this?

The hopeful sign in America is that in the last agriculture census in 2007 we 
have seen an increase in the number of small farmers in America and an 
increase in women farmers. We are also seeing an increase in farmers markets 
and direct marketing (farmer-to-consumer) generally across the country. These 
are positive signs. This is somewhat countered by the loss of middle range 
farmers and more consolidation of huge corporate farms as indicated in the 
2007 census. Nevertheless, we are witnessing some positive changes in the 
agriculture landscape in America.

We are also seeing an increase in urban agriculture in America. With it jobs 
are being created along with healthy, fresh affordable produce all of which 
are now beginning to become available in communities throughout the country. 
Even Tom Vilsack, Obama’s Secretary of Agriculture, has created an urban 
garden right on the property of the United States Department of Agriculture 
in Washington DC. The First Lady Michelle Obama has also initiated a garden 
on the White House grounds. The trend is a positive one.

Why urban agriculture? Because, we as Americans need to re-claim our food 
sovereignty. It’s as simple as that and as profound as that. Plus, most of us 
are now living in cities. If that’s where we are, we need to be growing our 
own food and feeding our own families and communities. Existing farmers in 
rural areas should be doing the same. Most are generally growing for 
corporate America with their major commodity production such as corn, soy, 
cotton or cattle. Some are engaged in diverse and healthy vegetable 
production but we need more of them. Rural farmers too need to be growing 
food for their families and communities as most have generally done 
historically. So farmers, whether in rural or in urban America, can be 
growing organic and healthy foods and all of us can be part of that solution 
by supporting them and encouraging this and/or in growing produce ourselves.

In addition to the above, and to summarize, urban agriculture can play a 
critical role in reversing many of the negative aspects of industrial 
agriculture. Urban farming enhances the health of metropolitan residents, 
creates “green” jobs, produces affordable locally grown organic fruits and 
vegetables; teaches people to grow their own foods; re-connects people to 
their food and the land; and strengthens the environment through reduced 
fossil fuel dependence.

It seems that turning away from relying on corporate America to generate 
wealth and well-being is perhaps one of the most valid positions we can take 
right now. We can do this by strengthening our locally owned and controlled 
economies, keeping wealth in our own communities and even and especially by 
growing our own food.

Heather Gray is the producer of "Just Peace" on WRFG-Atlanta 89.3 FM covering 
local, regional, national and international news. She lives in Atlanta, 
Georgia and can be reached at hmcgray@earthlink.net

K. Rashid Nuri is an organic urban farmer and agricultural educator in 
Atlanta, Georgia. He brings forty years of experience to this work. Rashid 
has lived and worked in over 30 countries around the world. He has managed 
public, private and community-based food and agriculture businesses. Rashid 
served four years as a Senior USDA Executive in the Clinton administration. 
He is a graduate of Harvard College, where he studied Political Science, and 
has a M.S. in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Massachusetts. He 
can be reached at admin@trulylivingwell.com