The Perils of Industrial Agriculture
The current state of food and eating in the United States is in dire straits. The majority of our food is sourced from what is called industrial agriculture: large “farms” (factories) that use an extraordinary amount fossil fuels, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers to churn out massive amounts of product. While industrial agriculture is very profitable for the companies themselves, our environments and health suffer the consequences.
When you go to the supermarket, chances are that much of what you see has been produced in one of these industrial plants. Items contained in boxes or packages is highly processed and made from high volume, low quality ingredients. Even a lot of the fresh produce is not grown in a high quality manner - corn, for example, is often grown as a monoculture crop, where the soil has been sterilized by chemicals and many of the natural health benefits have been erased.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the environment is starting to suffer from reckless large-scale agricultural practices. In a recent article, the organization outlined the damage:
“Irrigation systems are pumping water from reservoirs faster than they are being recharged. Toxic herbicides and insecticides are accumulating in ground and surface waters. Chemical fertilizers are running off the fields into water systems where they generate damaging blooms of oxygen-depleting microorganisms that disrupt ecosystems and kill fish.”
Furthermore, the negative health effects of this industrial system are abundant. Many studies have conclusively demonstrated a link between the consumption of low-quality, high-sugar calories, and obesity, diabetes, and a whole host of other issues. Dr. Mark Hyman, the Director of the UltraWellness Center, notes that there is an “omnipresence of cheap, high-calorie, nutrient-poor processed food.” Consumed regularly, this junk wreaks havoc on our bodies.
What do we do about this? Are we supposed to accept that obesity and type 1 diabetes are a natural state of the human condition? Can we bear witness to rampant environmental degradation?
No, we cannot. These negative effects are avoidable and reversible. It’s up to each and every one of us to reverse these trends. We can start by voting with our dollar. We should all do our best to support local farms that raise fresh, natural food and preserve the integrity of the local environment. Money spent on local farms stays in the community as opposed to some corporate HQ far away. Local also means food that was grown or raised properly, in contrast to irresponsible industrial techniques. Finally, it means better health for all of us, as we can get all of the vitamins and nutrients we need from wholesome, quality food.
GrubMarket was build upon the premise that everyone should have access to food that is affordable, local, and healthy. We offer a selection of meat, dairy, produce and more, delivered straight to your door, that will make you feel good about the way you eat. As more and more people consciously choose the food they eat, we can disrupt industrial agriculture and support the farmers that are making our world a better place.
