"...Owing to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetic modification, and a conversion of farming from a naturally based to a highly mechanized production system, the U.S. farmers now produce 3,900 calories per U.S. citizen, per day. That is twice what we need, and 700 calories a day more than they grew in 1980. Commodity farmers can only survive by producing their maximum yields, so they do. And here is the shocking plot twist: as farmers produced those extra calories, the food industry figured out how to get them into the bodies of people who didn't really want to eat 700 more calories a day. That is the well-oiled machine we call Late Capitalism." (emphasis mine)
from Animal Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Friday, September 14, 2007
Food for thought......
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3 comments:
I've been looking this over, myself. I didn't know this fact (thanks), but I did notice the push to get us to eat more.
But people are starting to notice and point out that our portion sizes are way too big~ we just eat too much, without even realizing it.
I cut my portions down by about half, this past Spring, by just eating slower, and eating only when I'm hungry. Overeating has been a hard habit to break, but I'm definitely getting there!
Now, I'm just waiting for the difference in my weight to really kick in...! :)
"Now, I'm just waiting for the difference in my weight to really kick in...! :)"
Christine - that would be a wonderful side benefit wouldn't it?
you know after eating that soup this past spring I now actually have friends who are starving. One in particular, Tiego. Ill put a picture of him in a Brazil album on facebook one of these days.
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