Take Action: Support Sustainable Farming
June/July 2007
Alison Rogers
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Though they receive no support from the federal government, organic fruits and vegetables are an integral part of any healthy diet.
PHOTODISC/GETTY IMAGES
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Of the many issues facing Americans today, few are more
important than the quality and safety of our food. Every day, many
eat more and more processed, high-calorie foods with little
nutritive value, trucked to us from thousands of miles away.
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Why? Because those foods are more affordable. And why are they
more affordable, considering all the processing, packaging and
transportation? Because the companies that produce them receive
financial assistance from us in the form of subsidies authorized by
the U.S. farm bill. Over the past decade, U.S. citizens paid more
than $165 billion in tax dollars to the largest 20 percent of
farms, according to the Environmental
Working Group. These farms operate on such a massive scale that
limited attention can be focused on maximizing the health benefits
of their product, and contamination is often unavoidable. (Learn
more about subsidies and the unhealthy effects of current U.S. farm
policy in
How Farm Policy Affects Us All.)
The results are clear?those on low and middle income budgets
have little choice but to stock up on foods that are typically full
of preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup and
sodium. An obesity epidemic is well underway, and food-borne
illness outbreaks make frequent headlines. The
U.S. Department
of Agriculture is funding the foods they advise us to use
sparingly (oils and sweets), while leaving fruits and vegetables
out even though they recommend five to nine daily servings of those
two items combined.
Support for local organic family farms is the key to reversing
these unhealthy trends. You'll benefit from fresh, preservative-
and chemical-free products, and by shopping close to home, you'll
do your part to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide generated by
transporting food across the country. (More on the advantages of
local food can be found in
Growing Trust and
How to Find the Best Food.)
