I think it's quite frightening to have nonsensical control over food and seed. Keeping things safe is one thing (inspections), but putting so many controls on things that it's difficult to even feed one another is something a bit scary to me. Plus, so many things are allowed in the name of safety and high yields (irradiation and GMO) that are NOT required to be labeled. So, I guess even safety is a bit questionable.
Monopolies over anything seem unfair. Monopolies over food seed are terrifying! As far as I know, the dollar still speaks loudly. I'm going to focus more than ever on buying my seed and chicks (and learning how to save seeds and incubate chicks) from companies that support heritage breeds, heirloom varieties and no GMO. Are there other ways to speak out?
Kstaven, can you explain your comment in more detail?
"Our whole food system seems to be in transition. A free market is the last thing many corps and boards want to see. They survive by controlling produce. That is why companies like monsanto are trying to buy up seed selling companies."
One area of growth we are seeing here in Wisconsin is "buying local." We have many local organizations working hard to band together and promote locally grown produce to upscale restaurants, farmer's markets and co-ops. We have the nation's highest-rated farmer's market in Madison and almost every town has their own tiny or larger market. CSA shares are filling up before spring even arrives. I think there's really a huge groundswell of people sick of huge corporations controlling their food, a lack of trust over how that food was grown, a disgust with lack of freshness and nutrition, a desire to limit packaging and fuel used to get it to market, an acknowledgement of the superior quality, taste and nutrition of fresh food, etc. I seriously think there's something huge growing here, a massive movement towards locally produced food, a real pride in what a region can provide for its own citizens.
I'm really proud to be a tiny part of that in providing for 9 families in my own tiny CSA and use my newsletter as a way to educate people as best as I know how about the benefits of this type of food delivery system. It's crazy to me that this is a "new movement" since until relatively recently this would have been the only way possible to eat!
Sorry for such a long post! I tend to get a bit over enthusiastic about this topic
