Who in reality has the power to change the future of food and how it is produced? Is it the chemical company, the farm advisor, the farmer, the supermarket or you, the consumer?

I would argue that it is you the consumer, with your purchasing power, who controls how our food is produced.

If you want cheap food and aren’t too fussy about what goes into it except that it’s fairly safe then that’s what you will end up with more of. You are indicating through your purchases that GMO’s, farm chemicals, feed lots, synthetic hormones and antibiotics are fine or at least nothing to worry about.

You’d probably look at the current situation and see our capitalist system working perfectly.

The chemical companies want to sell as many chemicals as possible to the farmers in a way that benefits farm production and lowers costs (at least in the short term).

The farm advisor wants to suggest strategies to his clients to maximize production at the cheapest possible price.

The farmer wants to survive in a very price conscious commodity market and will do whatever is necessary to generate a profit or at least stay afloat until things get better.

The processor attempts to profitably process raw materials into foods that have a long shelf life, travel well, taste good and are safe.

Meanwhile supermarkets gain market share by supplying the food people want at a reasonable price.

However It is you the consumer who has the final say in what is purchased. Because if you care about the environment, are worried about agricultural poisons or animal confinement feedlots then your purchasing power will be directed elsewhere.

It is my dream that in the future more people will care about the environment, animal welfare, nasties in our food and supporting local farmers.

When this consciousness change occurs the environment will improve, biology will replace chemistry in driving farm production, animals will be kept in a more natural environment and the health of the human race will change for the better.

You the consumer can drive this change by supporting food production systems that lead to a sustainable future.

Cheap food production is poisoning our land and waterways and leaving an environmental disaster for future generations.

Take a stand, make conscious purchasing decisions and together we can make this world a better place to live, now and into the future.