M6.4 Industrial Farming

BEES….

Bees are one of the most important insects on earth. Besides from providing delicious honey, they are critical in pollination. They directly effect the growth of plants which impact the growth of food. According to Teatro Naturale International (TNI) “decreasing numbers of food pollinators such as bees—is due to pesticide use and destruction of habitats—could lead to declines in nutrient-rich crops that have been linked with staving off disease” (TNI, 2015).  It is safe to say that without bees there will be a severe shortage of produce, critical reduction of essential nutrients, and increase of preventable diseases. This means the price of produce will increase due to supply and demand. Personally, when I was young in the early 90’s I remember seeing a lot of bees. I even got stung a couple of times. They were way more abundant than now. Today, I rarely see them and when I do, I usually save them from drowning in the pool or if they are stuck in my car. An article written by National Public Radio (NPR) stated that almost 44% of honeybees have been eliminated in the U.S. and, “experts are looking for ways to help plants survive without them” (Ponti, 2017). They are suggesting along with trying to save the bees creating tiny pollinator drones using smart technology. 

FACTORY FARMS

Living in the “farm to fork capitol” (Sacramento) I was not shocked to find out that there are factory farms near me. They say happy cows come from live in California… however, every time I drive I-5 south or 99 south I see cows in two industrial looking facilities living in terrible conditions. The smell is terrible, and they are grouped together in giant feed stations that are filthy. It is sad because there are also a lot of free roam cattle that look absolutely happy gazing in beautiful scenery along the entire southbound route. I think as public health advocates we need to advocate for free range livestock. Everyone deserves the option to eat healthier food because it is their human right. Public health policies should focus on dismantling factory farms and replacing them with free roam, non-GMO, grass-fed/natural feed facilities. 

DIRT!

I personally do not compost because I live in an apartment but if I were to have a house with a lot of acreage, I would have a natural garden with compost. After watching the movie, I have better understanding of how important dirt really is. It is literally a living and breathing thing comparable to the human skin. Micro-organisms that make up dirt are critical in the growth of plants. When the dirt is contaminated by man and misused then the results are catastrophic. Composting is sort of like putting lotion on the skin. It provides essential vitamins and minerals for dirt to feed and reproduce. This then makes plants grow bigger, healthier, and stronger like nature intended them to be. My Grandma used to have a huge backyard garden when I was a kid and we had three bins in the house. The compost bin had all organic material that decomposes naturally, and she’d pour it on the soil. At first, I thought it just was disgusting and smelled terrible. Within a year she had a huge tomato plant and watermelons that were to die for. I am certainly an advocate for composting. As a public health professional, I would like to look into ways that landfills and trash companies sort trash. Maybe if we could separate organic material and create composting plants the size of recycling plants, we could reverse a lot of soil damage we have already done.