Modern farming debate
Lara Wiggert (lwiggert@nas.edu)
Thu, 10 Aug 95 11:01:00 EST
It may be stating the obvious, but , as was pointed out in an earlier
message, Dennis Avery apparently assumes that the current system of food
production is the only way to do things. Aside from soil health, Avery
seems to have overlooked the fact that (and someone please correct me if
I'm wrong) at least 80% of the grain grown in this country goes directly
for animal feed. I would imagine similar percentages hold in other parts
of the world where meat consumption is similarly high. This is a rather
inefficient use of resources, including, obviously, the land Avery
laments being taken from wildlife should demand for food continue to
increase. Indeed, some, including the acreage used for grazing, could be
"given back" to nature.
Bottom line is that meat (and dairy) consumption in the Western world is
too high for both ecological and personal health considerations. The
impact of our personal eating habits on the environment and the economy
ought not to be underestimated. Awareness seems to be growing, albeit
slowly. We need to educate where we can (including in the Third World,
of course, to foster population control and better living conditions) -
every little bit helps...