Organically grown crops

[mrs_sweetpeach]

I saw a news headline that seemed to indicate that if all crops were grown organically, there wouldn't be enough food to feed everyone. This may or may not be true, but if it is true, does it count all the grains (and other ingredients) that go into snack foods and other unhealthy fare? If we all ate cleanly, would what can be grown organically be more than enough? My suspicion is "yes."

Comments

[asparagusmama.livejournal.com]

Going veggie or part veggie, keeping meat for once or twice a week and secial days would help. it takes 100lbs of grain to make 1lb of beef.

And the whole skewed trade systme that keeps Africa and other nations in thrall of the western multi nationals pervets crops, farming and demand.

We could feed the whole world tomorrow and forever, even on organic production, if we just had the political will.

x

[mrs-sweetpeach.livejournal.com]

"if we just had the political will"

Perhaps, but it's more than just political. I keep thinking of Kraft and the other companies that make boxed foods (mac & cheese in a box, cold cereal, cakes, cookies, chips, crackers, hamburger helper) and think that if the world went 100% organic they wouldn't have the grain needed to make their products -- which would put lots of people out of work. Not just the people who manufacture it, but also those who work in food warehouses and make deliveries to the stores that sell it. It's the same thing with Coke & Pepsi -- an enormous number of people work in its production and distribution and there'd be no market for the product if everyone really did eat clean.

None of this, btw, is meant to imply I eat cleanly or that I won't drink soft drinks. I'm more aware of what eating cleanly is than I was, say, a year ago. But I still drink the occasional can of soda and peanut butter-filled pretzels and cold cereal are a huge part of my diet.

[asparagusmama.livejournal.com]

That's true too, but it sort of still is global economics and politics isn't it - a few huge companies sources everything as cheaply as possible and forcing it on consumers, convincing them they need this junk, feeding our addiction to anything sweet, salty and fatty. Half the world starves while half the world grow obese to keep a few big companies in profit!

I try to shop as fair trade and organic and local as possible, but it's hard on a fixed income and limited energy so, I too, eat far too much junk than I would like.

[kevinnickerson.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it's correct to say that all organic crops wouldn't produce enough calories to feed the current population.

Going organic would mean dropping pretty much all pesticides, and that would probably cut production to a tenth of what we have now.

[bwittig.livejournal.com]

NPR just did a story on food. This talk suggests a direction (not a solution):
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/11/152457498/does-good-flavor-equal-sustainability

To paraphrase: "Anyone who is promoting a single solution is either lying or selling something."

[odogoddess.insanejournal.com]

So is mine. You might find these interesting:

http://www.ifoam.org/growing_organic/2_policy/criticisms_misconceptions_main_page.php

http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/scientists-critical-of-argument-for-gm-crops-2/