watching what we eat
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State of the World 2004. Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg. Watching What We Eat. Watching What We Eat. Overview: . A Revolution in Every Bite From Farm to Factory – and Back Food Without Pollution Eat Here The Rise of Food Democracy Policy Priorities. Watching What We Eat. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
State of the World 2004
Watching What We Eat
Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg
Watching What We EatOverview:
1. A Revolution in Every Bite2. From Farm to Factory – and Back3. Food Without Pollution4. Eat Here5. The Rise of Food Democracy6. Policy Priorities
Watching What We Eat
The rise in international food trade and the proliferation of heavily processed and packaged foods has distanced most people from what they eat, both geographically and psychologically
Watching What We Eat
• Artificially low prices for food do not reflect true costsEx.: - Farmers often unable to make
a decent living
- Need to clean up environmental
problems caused by destructive forms of agriculture
Watching What We Eat• Many people in wealthier nations are not aware of
how food items reach their tablesFor example...
- From pâté-de-foie-gras to shark fin soup to caviar, many luxury foods are
produced under brutal and ecologically disastrous conditions
Luxury Foods
- Industrial fleets have fished out 90% of all large ocean predators in just the past 50 years
- Many species in sharp decline
Fishing Trawlers
A Revolution in Every Bite• Consumers are becoming increasingly
concerned and involved- Making a political statement with
their food choices- Refusing to support destructive
forms of agriculture• Growing demand for fair foods
Ex.: - certified organic fruits and vegetables- pasture-raised beef- sustainably caught fish- bird-friendly coffee and cocoa
• 25% of planet’s surface devoted to food production (more than the world’s forested area)
• Impossible to separate agricultural practices from the health of rivers, wetlands, forests, and the living environment
• Our food choices rival transportation as the human activity with the greatest impact on the environment
A Revolution in Every Bite
Most profound changes eaters can make:
1) re-evaluating their consumption of meat
2) selecting food produced without agrichemicals
3) buying locally grown food
A Revolution in Every Bite
A Growing Appetite for Meat
• Global meat production has increased more than fivefold since 1950
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
Mill
ion
Tons
World Meat Production, 1950-2002
Source: FAO
A Growing Appetite for Meat
If the trend continues…
Source: Delgado et al., 1998
Pound per
person per year
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2
Developing countries
Industrial countries
100
220
1 side of beef
1 pig
50 chickens
equivalent to:
Projected Meat Consumption in 2020
Industrialized animal production is the most ecologically destructive sector of
global farming
From Farm to Factory – and Back
Inputs to Industrial MeatFeed - 1 calorie of beef, pork, or poultry
needs 11-17 calories of feed- 95% of soybean harvest eaten by
animals, not people- Feed containing meat and bone
meal can cause mad cow disease
Water
- Producing 8 ounces of beef requires over 6000 gallons of
water
Inputs to Industrial Meat
- Cows, pigs, and chickens get 70% of all antimicrobial drugs in the US
Additives
- 1 calorie of beef takes 33% more fossil fuel energy to produce
than a calorie of energy from potatoes would
Fossil Fuels
Outputs of Industrial Meat
- Manure from intensive pig operations stored in lagoons can leak into groundwater or pollute nearby surface water
Manure
- Belching, flatulent livestock emit 16% of the world’s annual production of methane, a
powerful greenhouse gas
Methane
Outputs of Industrial Meat- Eating animal products high in
saturated fat and cholesterol is linked to cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses
- Factory farm conditions can spread E. coli, Salmoella, and other food-borne pathogens
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of mad cow
disease, has killed at least 100 people
- Outbreaks of avian flu in densely populated chicken farms can spread to humans
Disease
• Growing movement of farmers who choose to raise their animals outside
• Increasing consumer demand for pasture-fed or free-range meat
From Farm to Factory – and Back
Advantages of raising animals outside:• Nutritionists say that grass-fed meat is healthier
(no antibiotics, no hormones, higher in Omega 3 fatty acids that lower cholesterol, etc.)
• Animals raised on pasture require little, if any, grain, resulting in less pressure on farmland to raise monocultures of corn and soybeans to feed livestock
• Farmers enjoy lower costs: no antibiotics, no growth promotants, no pricey feed, no huge sheds to maintain
From Farm to Factory – and Back
Problems with Chemical-Intensive Agriculture
• Fertilizers and pesticides pollute surrounding environment– reducing biodiversity– contaminating groundwater and drinking
water supplies
• Health risks associated with exposure to pesticides that are known or suspected carcinogens
• Vicious cycle: pests develop resistance to pesticides, requiring heavier doses and more potent chemicals
Organic Farms Yield More Than Just Crops
Plants- 5 times as many wild plants, and
many more species
- 2 times as many birdsBirds
Soil Life- 2 to 5 times as many arthropods
(including butterflies and spiders) and soil life, like earthworms
Food Without Pollution• Other benefits of organic farming:
– No cost to public for removing chemical fertilizers and pesticides from drinking water supplies
– Emphasis on cover crops, compost, and manure increases organic matter in soils, reduces erosion, and increases productivity
– Organic produce is more nutritious, containing higher concentrations of antioxidants and other health-promoting compounds
Food Without Pollution• Growing demand for organic foods
Global Sales of Organic Foods, circa 2002
Canada ($850 mill.)Japan ($350 mill.)Rest of world ($825 mill.)Germany ($2.8 bill.)
United Kingdom ($1.6 bill.)Italy ($1.2 bill.)France ($1.2 bill.)Other Europe ($3.2 bill.)
Source: IFOAM
CanadaJapanRest of WorldGermanyUnited KingdomItalyFranceOther EuropeUnited States
United States ($11 bill.)
Total = $23 billion
Eat Here• Today, the average food item in
the U.S. travels 1,500–3,000 miles (25% farther than in 1980)• However, eating local foods
- preserves regional cuisines- keeps money within the community- saves energy (less hauling, packaging,
processing, and brokering required)- reduces greenhouse gas emissions (less
transport)
Eat Here
Source: Jones
A meal made from imported vs local ingredients in Britain generates 650 times more transport-related carbon emissions
Beef joint21,462 kmAUSTRALIA
Blueberries18,835 km
NEW ZEALAND
Broccoli8,780 kmGUATEMALA
Strawberries8,772 kmCALIFORNIA
Potatoes2,447 km
ITALY
Green beans9,532 kmTHAILAND
Carrots9,620 km
SOUTH AFRICA
All British48 km
All these food items can be grown in a British climate
Eat HereLocal foods are fresher, healthier, and less expensive
Food Democracy
• More farmers, consumers, chefs, and food businesses are resisting the temptation to eat blindly, and are instead eating deliberately
• They are part of a growing movement to re-establish our lost connection to food and the people who produce it
• Consumers seeking better food choices are the driving force behind change
Policy PrioritiesGovernment Action
• Shift the more than $300 billion spent on agricultural subsidies each year into support for ecological farming
• Consider taxing pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, factory farms, and other polluting inputs or farming practices
Policy PrioritiesGovernment Action
• Work with farming organizations to increase the share of their land under organic production to 10% over the next 10 years by:– improving organic certification programs
– boosting organic know-how at agricultural universities, research centers, and extension agencies
– providing subsidies or tax credits to farmers in the first few years of conversion
Policy PrioritiesGovernment Action
• Reform international trade agreements to eliminate export subsidies, food dumping, and other unfair trade practices that restrict the ability of nations to protect and build domestic farm economies
• From the national to the local level, use food procurement for schools, hospitals, government offices, etc. to support ecologically raised crops from local farmers
What Can You Do to Make a Difference?
About the Authors
Brian Halweil is a Senior Researcher at the Worldwatch Institute
Danielle Nierenberg is a Research Associate at the Institute
More information on State of the World 2004
at www.worldwatch.org