Personal Opinions- Group members opinions

Personally, I think that now, after learning all about what is really in our foods and how it affects our environment, I will try to eat the naturally grown and produced foods instead of all the artificial foods. I feel that, most of what these companies do is bad and they are just in it for the money. For this reason, I personally dont want them to have more of my money. Knowing all this, it really makes me want to look at the labels before buying foods. The problem is that, it is hard to get away from processed food because most foods are processed these days. These companies don’t seem to care about the outcome of what they do. The harming of the animals at the quantity it is done is unnecessary. Also, these big companies are using a bunch of chemicals that are not only bad for the animals, but for us and the environment. These companies are all getting money from the head of the whole operation and they are making good money, so if they want to keep making money, they need to keep doing what the head of it all wants them to do. The fact that food is now run by about 15 companies in general is an odd feeling, we need to eat, and they need to make money.

~Gregory Millar

After spending about a week learning about the differences between conventional and organic faring, it has taught me that conventional farming is far more worse than I thought it would be. The pollution and disease it causes but what I find worse were the false advertising. Even though we all would prefer to go organic, it makes it harder since it has become such and expensive lifestyle. Our food is all apart of a huge corporation and they are all in it for the big money and success. It can be challenging to start living a healthy lifestyle but there are many ways we can do to start helping out our environment and bodies.

~Reina Chinen

Energy and Other Resources Conventional- Gregory Millar

In today’s world there are a host of serious environmental problems, and factory farming is one of the top causes of pollution.[1] Scientific research has found that factory farming’s method of crowding and confining animals in warehouse-like conditions before killing them and mass-producing both “meat” from cows, pigs and chickens as well as dairy and eggs poses “an unacceptable level of risk to public health and damage to the environment. Yet, despite factory farming’s severe social and ecological costs, many governments promote this unsustainable industry to supply a growing global “meat” market that is projected to double by 2050.

Factory farms typically concentrate tens or hundreds of thousands of animals in one area, and a large operation can produce as much excrement as a small city. EPA says- “A single dairy cow produces about 120 pounds of wet manure per day, which is equivalent to the waste produced by 20–40 people. That means California’s 1.4 million dairy cows produce as much waste as 28–56 million people.” So, when taking into consideration tens or hundreds of thousands of animals, it’s not surprising that this amounts to about 130 times more excrement than is produced by the entire human population every year. For centuries, farmers have used animal manure to fertilize their fields, but factory farms produce far more waste than the land can absorb, turning disposal of this toxic by-product into a big problem for both the agriculture industry and society. 

~Gregory Millar

Resources:

http://www.foodispower.org/pollution-water-air-chemicals/

http://www.foodispower.org/pollution-water-air-chemicals/

https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/cafo-lagoon-farm-waste-585-mfk020311.jpg?w=470&h=281

Effect on the Landscape Quality from Conventional Farming- Reina Chinen

          

Due to the different chemicals used for conventional farming, it causes the soil to deteriorate and become contaminated with the chemicals. Everyday, we are losing many areas of farmland due to the chemicals used for farming. Not only that, but due to the fact that the chemicals are in the soil, it causes the crops that we eat to be contaminated. The machines that are also used for harvesting or plating can damage the soil making it more difficult for farming.

The irrigation systems that are also used for the farming can sometimes lead off into waterways which can harm ocean life. As the contaminated water enters the ocean water, a large amount of algae started building up causing the oxygen in the water to deplete making it harder for the marine life to breathe.

~Reina Chinen

Resources:

http://www.sustainabletable.org.au/Hungryforinfo/Conventionalfarmingdamagetheenvironment/tabid/117/Default.aspx

https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/spea/article/view/3819

http://www.gentlesimplicity.com/conventional-vs-organic-farming-series-part-i-environmental-effects-of-conventional-farming/

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/nsfc/39.htm

http://eatrighteous.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/organic-corn.png

http://www.motherjones.com/files/images/soil.jpg

Farm and Wildlife Biodiversity of Organic Farms- Starla Racine

Organic farms are significantly better for the environment than conventional farms, but are they effecting wildlife in anyway? The types of livestock that live on organic farms vary depending on what the farm is producing. Some may have cows, pigs, and chickens, while other might just have fruits and vegetables. Research shows that organic farms have more butterflies than conventional farms, but when a conventional farm mixes with an organic farm butterfly populations grow. It is believed that mixing the two industries together can be better for both health and production.

Mass producing healthy, fresh foods may be the best answer, but it won’t be possible to keep everything fresh. Farms like these would put local farms out of business for sure, so many may look down at the idea. Still, one question remains; is quantity better than quality?

~Starla Racine

Resources:

http://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2010/research/organic-farming/

http://www.researchgate.net/publication/226957942_Indicators_of_Biodiversity_and_Conservational_Wildlife_Quality_on_Danish_Organic_Farms_for_Use_in_Farm_Management_A_Multidisciplinary_Approach_to_Indicator_Development_and_Testing

Farm and Wildlife Biodiversity of Conventional Farming- Reina Chinen

 

In conventional farming, there is to much to be told about far biodiversity. It would not even be considered a farm as to where they keep all of their animals. The main animals that they keep in the production areas are cows, pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens which are all sectioned off into different areas. There main source of food is corn and soy since it is one of the easiest to grow and harvest. Although, some of the animals are not meant to be able to digest this food so they can attain health problems. Also, due to the small amount of space the animals have to move in, they can contract diseases from each other much more easily.

For these big companies to build new areas to produce their meats and crops, they need to find not as populated areas. This makes areas such as rainforests and forests an easy target. Although, the more they cut down these areas to build their buildings, the more species gets killed off in the process. In fact, 19 million hectares of rainforest are cut down each year. If we continue with these actions, more and more species will start going extinct. Not only are animals starting to disappear, but also plant life has decreased immensely

.

~Reina Chinen

Resources:

http://www.sustainabletable.org/260/animal-feed

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Biodiversity.aspx

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/29/earth-lost-50-wildlife-in-40-years-wwf

http://www.sustainabletable.org.au/Hungryforinfo/Conventionalfarmingdamagetheenvironment/tabid/117/Default.aspx

http://www.wpsa-foodsafety.com/UserFiles/Image/documenten/broiler_breeders_rearing.jpg

http://www.unjoursansviande.be/anglais/images/pigs-missouri-factory-farm.jpg

http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/uploads/2011/02/Gold-rush-in-the-Amazon-Illegal-goldmining-is-laying-waste-to-Madre-de-Dios-the-most-biodiverse-region-in-the-world-e1298849923201.jpg

Organic Pollution and Nutrient Emissions- Starla Racine

Organic farmers use natural sources to maintain their farms. Unlike convention farms, organic farms grow out their grass and allow the cows to feed off of it. Their waste acts as a fertiliser and the grass continues to grow. This is not only natural and healthy for the environment, but it also saves money and time. We eat what the meat we eat consumes, and by eating organic meats we are also absorbing their nutrients and energy.

When conventional farmers feed their livestock corn their bodies fight against it and form disease such as E. Coli. Organic livestock is healthy and that reduces our risks of getting sick. Organic fruits and vegetables are also considerably safer for consumption due to the lack of harmful pesticides.  All fingers point towards conventional farms when it comes to nutrient emissions and pollution.

~Starla Racine

Sources:

http://www2.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/problem

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-a304/

Pollution and Nutrient Emissions of Conventional Gardening- Gregory Millar

 

Cars and trucks release nitrogen into the atmosphere, which contributes to nutrient pollution in our air and water. Nutrient pollution is one of America’s most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems, and is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the air and water. Air nitrogen pollution affects not only the quality of the air we breathe, but also the land and the water. Nitrogen is the most abundant element in the air and is essential to plant and animal life. Sources of nitrogen from human activities, such as electric power generation, industry, transportation and agriculture, can upset the natural balance of nitrogen in the environment.

Agriculture contributes approximately 6 to 7% of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Methane from enteric fermentation represents 20% and manure management 7% of the total methane emitted. Some dietary practices that have been shown to reduce methane include addition of ionophores, fats, use of high quality forages, and increased use of grains.

In the United States, carbon dioxide makes up 84.6% of all emissions. The major sources of CO2 emissions are fossil fuel combustion, iron and steel production, cement manufacturing, and municipal solid waste combustion. In the United States in 2004, fuel combustion accounted for 95% of CO2 emissions.

~Gregory Millar

Resources:

http://extension.psu.edu/animals/dairy/nutrition/nutrition-and-feeding/diet-formulation-and-evaluation/carbon-methane-emissions-and-the-dairy-cow

http://extension.psu.edu/animals/dairy/nutrition/nutrition-and-feeding/diet-formulation-and-evaluation/carbon-methane-emissions-and-the-dairy-cow

http://www2.epa.gov/nutrientpollution

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/infogram-particles-700/100002764159511_1382855913.jpg

http://rawandstrong.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/conventional-farming.jpg

The Health and Social Complications from Conventional Farming- Reina Chinen

         

Conventional Farming is a danger to our health and environment. One of the causes are the pesticides used to kill off the insects. The spraying of the pesticide seethes into the food that is being grown in the fields. This causes people who are buying these products from the market to consume the pesticides which can cause serious diseases. Some of the most common side effects of pesticide on a person are cancer, birth defects, or allergies.

The ways the different meats are prepared can also be a serious health hazard to the consumers. Millions of cows, pigs, and chickens are killed everyday in unsanitary conditions for our consumption. The animals are also fed antibiotics which can harm our health as well.

The social impact of conventional farming has caused hundreds of farms to be shut down by bigger companies willing to open up their factories. This causes farmers to lose their businesses making it harder to earn income.

~Reina Chinen

Resources:

http://leafcertified.org/the-apparel-industry/faqs/problems-associated-with-conventional-farming

http://rodaleinstitute.org/our-work/farming-systems-trial/farming-systems-trial-fst-fast-facts/

http://omorganics.org/page.php?pageid=88

The Health and Social Complications of Organic Farming- Starla Racine

It’s no secret that organic produce costs more than produce from conventional industries. Spending a dollar more for something fresh, local, or organic is a hassle, right? Many people that decide against organic again and again lack knowledge of the obvious health benefits. Organic farms don’t use pesticides that are not only harmful for the environment, but are harmful for human consumption as well. Genetically modified foods crowed the produce section of the grocery store. An apple from a big name conventional farm may be cheaper, but is it really an apple that you’re eating? Apples from organic farms are not only healthier, but they also aren’t covered in pesticides and grown with GMOs.

~Starla Racine