The Effects of Conventional Agriculture on Public Health
The nutritional values of vegetables like asparagus and spinach have dropped significantly since 1950. A 2004 US study found important nutrients in some garden
crops are up to 38% lower than there were at the middle of the 20th Century. This occurred after the major industrialization that occurred in WWII, and people wonder if there are connections between the increased use of artificial pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals and food we eat. The Broadbalk experiment, started in 1843, has been comparing the effect of inorganic [artificial] fertilisers and organic manures on winter wheat. It has specifically examined the levels of iron and zinc in wheat grown under different farming methods. One of their results is although the soil contains the same amount of micronutrients, the nutritional profile of the produce is still decreasing. Another scientist, Norman Borlaug, discovered a method to reduce the stalk height of wheat by 20%. Being shorter, the plant was able to pump more starches into the the spike, where the wheat grains grow. Resulting wheat flour therefore had a disproportionate amount of starch compared to nutrients. While the Green Revolution helped to tackle world hunger, today we find ourselves with a global food system that in some cases has been designed to deliver calories and cosmetic perfection but not necessarily nutrition. This is contributing to a phenomenon called hidden hunger, where people feel sated but may not be healthy, as their food is calorie-rich but nutrient-poor (source). This story, by BBC, depicts a history of studies surrounding the link between soil and produce nutritional profiles. My theory is, as an effect, people need more vegetables to get the same nutrition, which pushes the demand for veggies, which pushes farmers to minimize costs while maximizing output using suboptimal methods, making food less nutrient rich and making climate change worse. The cycle repeats itself in every way possible.
decreasing nutrient quality
rising carbon dioxide levels are making our food less nutritious, robbing key crops of vitamins essential to human development
crops have less protein, zinc, and iron when grown under soil with more carbon dioxide in it.
experiment showing nutrients decreasing in rice such as b vitamins
Extra carbon dioxide acts like empty calories or “junk food” for the plants, which gorge themselves on it to grow bigger and faster, consequently getting larger but less nutrient-packed
According to the Global Hunger Index, 2 billion people worldwide already suffer from “hidden hunger,” in which people starve consequent to malnutrition even though they are consuming enough calories.
Iron deficiency is the top nutritional disorder in the world, one of every three people are affected by inadequate zinc intake, and millions are deficient in calcium, magnesium or selenium. Diets low in these essential nutrients can lead to impaired cognitive development in children, increased childhood and maternal deaths, reduced growth in infants, and impaired immune function.
what does iron deficiency cause? fatigue, headaches, restless legs syndrome, heart problems, pregnancy complications, and developmental delays in children
we know it can do all these things, but rarely is it diagnosed as an iron deficiency. its is more diagnosed as heart disease or other psychological/cognitive issues. **doctors dont define the root cause.**
lower income/third world countries have no other option but to each the products of conventional agriculture.
problem:
carbon is rising
biodiversity is decreasing
why?
a) not sure
b) tilling, destroying of the soil
what impact does this have on me?
all the food you eat is less nutritious
much higher risk of nutrient related disease onset, gut issues, stress, fatigue, and much more
turning vegetarian/reducing processed food isnt going to solve everything anymore. need change at the root cause.
seen people take up to 30 supplements a day just to get the daily recommended amount of nutrients. gorging on little pills of vitality by the handfuls, choking as it gets stuck in their narrow pipe.
ecological impacts:
bees pollen doesnt contain enough protein
**why does this matter?**
plants are producing less nectar when exposed to more carbon dioxide.
starving butterflies and hummingbirds
how did it get this way? why is there so much carbon in our soils?
how to make your foods more nutritious? take the carbon out of them
c4 plants are less prone to the nutrient declines
can we convert c3 plants to c4 plants LOL
more work than its worth
cant rely on biotechnology to solve our problems
Golden rice, for example, provides people with more vitamin A than other varieties, but this process is lengthy, expensive and unlikely to compensate for the plethora of nutrients and vitamins declining as a result of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide.
get the government to subsidize my soil supplements
what does it take for a place like parks and recs to buy our product and release it into our network?
studies