M6.4 Industrial Farming

Vanishing Bees

I had heard of this issue previously, but never paid much attention to it or researched it any further. However, I was fascinated by the movie and found it very informative as well as emotionally touching. After watching the movie, I checked the label on my current jar of honey and found there was no ingredient list. I think this is odd because just about every edible item has an ingredient list. This made me question if I was eating "funny honey" or not. I was also shocked about the mistreatment of bees, especially the queens, on industrial pollination farms. Additionally, I learned about the devastating effects of colony collapse disorder (CCD). Systemic pesticides are suspected to be the cause of CCD because when this mode of delivery was developed no further safety and efficacy testing was completed. This movie highlights the ineptitude of the regulatory bodies put in place to supposedly protect us. I agree with the farmer who stated that the Environmental Protection Agency should take protection out of their name because they are not protecting anyone. Another farmer called them "pestitutes" because the agency has been corrupted by the large chemical companies. I also want to note that Bayer, the chemical company who makes the most dangerous pesticides, also makes many pharmaceuticals used by patients worldwide. This deserves some further investigation about conflicts of interest, especially of their toxicologists. Regardless, I feel the lack of government regulation and lax policies related to safety testing is to blame for this issue.  

Dirt! The Movie 

I appreciated this movie because I had never considered dirt to be a living thing or vital to our health and well being. This point was driven home when the movie illuminated the fact that most impoverished and destitute communities stem from a lack of healthy soil. Once the water dries up and the soil vanishes, no plants can grow causing the animals starve to death. Jobs are lost and people are hungry. Families are then forced to leave their homes in search of a new place that can sustain them. This really changed my perception on the importance of soil. Additionally, I found it interesting how different cultures use soil. For example, those in India use soil to build homes, whereas, those in Mexico believe soil contains healing power and center a pilgrimage around this belief. Starving people in Haiti will make yellow mud cookies to feed themselves and their children. Interestingly, I remember reading that people who grow up eating dirt often crave the taste of it as adults. Conversely, in America we often take soil for granted by continuing the practice of large monoculture farming. We should learn from history so we can avoid another large scale dust bowl. Lastly, this movie taught me to treat soil as the precious resource that it is! One way to give back to the earth is through composting (more on that below). 

Factory Farming

Luckily, there are no factory farms in my area or even my surrounding area. This makes me glad to know that there are no harmful farms in my community. However, living in an industrialized city does not come without its risks. All the asphalt and pollution from over developing the land can damage the soil as well. 

Composting

I currently live in a county where compost collection is mandatory. My family has significantly reduced our trash accumulation by implementing composting in our household. However, we do not have our own compost pile. The compost bin is collected on a weekly basis with our trash and recycling. I've always been curious as to where the compost goes and what the county uses it for. This module has inspired me to start my own vegetable garden that contains a compost pile and a bee hive. When I own a house this will be a priority of mine. That way I can ensure my food is organic and I'm contributing to renewal of important life-sustaining resources.