<<Just a quick point: Up until roughly the 1940s we grew all our food
without synthetic chemicals and had agricultural productivity equal to
or greater than we currently have. Crop losses due to insects have only
increased since we started using pesticides. (studies by Cornell
University and USDA) Agriculture has been "organic" for most of human
existence. The use of agrichemicals (and other chemicals of other types)
and the corresponding exponential rise in cancer have occurred in only
the past 50-60 years. We did fine without chemicals for millennia. Is
it too late to reverse the trend? >>
Dawn,
In my opinion, it is not too late to reverse this trend.
However, I suspect that many persons/farmers who use pesticides for
insects, fungi, weeds and to kill other life, do so because they have
been brainwashed by the USDA and the pesticide companies (including the
Farm Bureau).
After all, Monsanto (I understand) hooked farmers into buying
genetically altered seeds first with gifts, then by signed contracts
(which mandate that growers use glyphosphate to grow the altered
seeds). And, the USDA is getting farmers to use sewage sludge to add
organic matter to their soil --not to mention create a market for sewage
sludge, itself. I understand farmers are being paid in the form of
grants, to use sewage sludge. All this sounds like how the tobacco
industry hooked potential American consumers --first with free gifts,
then with propaganda, and at the same time reaps corporate welfare from
Congress.
It also appears to me that the various governments are more concerned
with finding an end-point to eliminate liability for polluters rather
than protecting food or public health. All life takes the risks so
corporate and governmental polluters can reap the profits.
Susan Snow
To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with "unsubscribe sanet-mg".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".