Long a strong advocate for healthier food and small growers, Health Care Without Harm points out in a recent fact sheet what should be obvious: ag policy is also health policy (& climate policy). By supporting agribusiness and unsustainable crops, the US government makes a choice to undermine small growers that follow true organic principles, thus rebuilding the soil & sequestering CO2 in the soil while producing food that supports our health instead of undermining it.
Massachusetts is developing a Food As Medicine plan, in cooperation with Harvard law school’s Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation.
Why is Pennsylvania doing so little to truly support small farmers who grow without synthetic chemicals?
What can you do? Avoid over processed foods and buy from local growers whenever possible! Choose organic whenever possible — and that includes items like coffee and tea, not just produce.
For products grown overseas, choose FairTrade whenever possible. Like organic, the FairTrade system is not perfect — but it does help ensure that small producers are paid fairly, and most FairTrade products are also organic. Look for the international FairTrade seal shown to the right when buying coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, cotton, and many other products. [See FairTrade America for a list of products & more information.]
Leave a Reply