The recent $307 billion Farm Bill was passed into legislation, despite a veto from the president, which was overridden. This farm bill had the potential to overhaul our agriculture priorities and do away with subsidies which only pay for certain crops like corn and soybeans to mega-farms, but fell short of most advocates hopes.
On the upside, the farm bill is recognizing the need for access to healthy foods in many urban environments where convenience store junk food is the norm. The bill introduces a Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center to increase access to fresh and healthy food options. Of course, they're also spending money to study the effects of "food deserts", as though there haven't been enough studies already conducted in this area...
In previous years, subsidies were only provided to farmers growing certain cash crops, like corn and soybeans. New subsidies will go to farmers of "specialty crops", what you and I would call fruits and vegetables, in an attempt to divert some subsidy money away from imitation calories like high fructose corn syrup. In the same vein, $1 billion will expand healthy snacks for kids programs in farm to school programs.
Increased support for farmers markets, support for socially disadvantaged farmers and farm-workers and support to use food stamps at farmers markets are more steps in the right direction.
This may sound far away from you, but let me remind you that we all need to eat everyday. In light of the recent tomato-salmonella contamination, it becomes apparent just how opaque and fragile our current model of food production truly is. As of today, the CDC still doesn't know the source of the contamination, and the first reported cases occurred over two months ago!
What to do? Buy local. Join a CSA (community supported agriculture). Shop at a farmers market. Ask your grocer where the produce comes from. Eat foods that are in season locally - you'll be amazed at the taste of a non-refrigerated tomato! As each of our dollars become more precious, use them wisely to purchase the healthiest and tastiest food that dollar will buy.
Showing posts with label food safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food safety. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Food Safety
Reflect and react to the following question: Whose responsibility is food safety? Give reasons for your answer.
This is sort of a toough question. You want to automatically reply, "It's the governments job; it's part of why we pay taxes like good, diligent citizens. Right?" However, since our government has a history of doing the bare minimum and leaving a lot up to "voluntary" reporting on the part of the producers, including recalls of known bad foods. However, the government at the same time has initiated procedures that make it very difficult for the small-scale producer or home grower to produce foods that meet USDA requirements.
Most of these requirements have very little to do with foods that are produced and consumed at a local or personal level. For example, take a look at what most dairy producers must do to sell their products: separate bathroom and washing facilities from the home, daily processing of milk, a separate, paved entrance to the dairy from the main road, and certain voltage lighting located a specified distance from the storage tanks. Not to mention that you can't sell raw milk in most states - it must be at least pasteurized. If traveling long distances then it is usually ultra-pasteurized to stabilize the product, destroying much of the nutritional value.
Another example of our government letting us down is the 1% testing for mad cow disease. When Great Britain had outbreaks of the disease, they took extensive measures to ensure the safety of beef. Most cattle were tested, and regulations were put in place to quarantine infected soils and destroy infected animals. After two years, they were able to continue their beef production. Most countries test a very high rate of animals, and destroy animals who potentially exhibit early signs of the disease. In our country, we barely test and testing and reporting is voluntary on the part of the producers. Who is protecting who? Sounds like the producers are getting it easy, while consumers are getting a questionable, but cheap product...
This is sort of a toough question. You want to automatically reply, "It's the governments job; it's part of why we pay taxes like good, diligent citizens. Right?" However, since our government has a history of doing the bare minimum and leaving a lot up to "voluntary" reporting on the part of the producers, including recalls of known bad foods. However, the government at the same time has initiated procedures that make it very difficult for the small-scale producer or home grower to produce foods that meet USDA requirements.
Most of these requirements have very little to do with foods that are produced and consumed at a local or personal level. For example, take a look at what most dairy producers must do to sell their products: separate bathroom and washing facilities from the home, daily processing of milk, a separate, paved entrance to the dairy from the main road, and certain voltage lighting located a specified distance from the storage tanks. Not to mention that you can't sell raw milk in most states - it must be at least pasteurized. If traveling long distances then it is usually ultra-pasteurized to stabilize the product, destroying much of the nutritional value.
Another example of our government letting us down is the 1% testing for mad cow disease. When Great Britain had outbreaks of the disease, they took extensive measures to ensure the safety of beef. Most cattle were tested, and regulations were put in place to quarantine infected soils and destroy infected animals. After two years, they were able to continue their beef production. Most countries test a very high rate of animals, and destroy animals who potentially exhibit early signs of the disease. In our country, we barely test and testing and reporting is voluntary on the part of the producers. Who is protecting who? Sounds like the producers are getting it easy, while consumers are getting a questionable, but cheap product...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)