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We depend on the land for the food we eat. It makes sense to use the land in ways that keep our environment and food healthy and our farms productive - both for us and our children. To better understand the conditions around us, here are some facts that reflect the situation, mainly in the United States: • Overuse of modern inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides and seeds can damage our land, air and water. • Homeowners use up to 10 times more toxic chemicals per acre than farmers. Much of this is unnecessary. But farms use more land, so excessive chemical use is a problem there too. • The Institute for Trade and Agriculture Policy estimates that U.S. fish farmers use between 200,000 and 433,000 pounds of antibiotics every year. • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports that farmers get only $.05 for each dollar U.S. consumers spend on cereal, baked goods and other foods. • At least 28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted each year - more than 100 pounds per person. • The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that animals in the U.S. meat industry produce 61 million tons of waste each year. This is five tons for every U.S. citizen, 130 times the volume of human waste. This would be OK if it was returned to the land as fertilizer. Unfortunately, much of it enters streams and rivers where it harms wildlife - and us. • Toxic chemicals are contaminating groundwater on every inhabited continent, endangering valuable supplies of fresh water. More on the Environment and What You Can Do by
Denessa Bachelor |
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