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RE: GMO corn that enables no-till planting.
Well, the 'bad thing' I see is spraying it all down with herbicide. First off, the herbicide is terrible for us and the environment. Second of all, if the corn is resistant to the herbicide, that would suggest it is the corn that is genetically modified to be resistant. I see how it is less work for the person growing the corn, but I don't feel like this is a good solution.
are you familiar with farming?
what's the alternative?
Yes. I AM familiar with farming, haha!
Im not sure what the immediate steps would be.
The problem stems from things being mass produced. The huge, factory farms that are producing inferior quality, inexpensive foods. They are only concerned with the bottom line and making as much profit as possible.
What would be better is going back in time to small farms, when things were grown responsibly and with respect to life. Yes, an area of 1000 acres of plowed land would very well be an erosion risk. A small farm with 10 acres plowed would not be an issue. And the land does not stay plowed like that for long. It sets for a short time to kill off pests and then the farmer plants it.
I agree, something has to change. Doing things like creating GMO crops, and spraying chemicals everywhere so large farm corporations can continue the atrocities they are doing, is not the answer.
I don't know how to change things. BUT I am not content to just shrug and keep eating that crap.
Instead I grow my own food. Without chemicals. In harmony with our land. In a way that will not leave the area depleted and poisoned.
It is a growing movement, growing your own food, and I hope it gains momentum. I think the only way to stop the huge commercial farms is to stop giving them our money buy purchasing their products.
Ok...let's assume everyone (somehow) moves back to the land and grows their own food.
uh...
who'd gonna build your computer, your tractor, your car, your tools?
who's gonna make your clothes....
If everyone is growing their own food who's gonna have the time to make live easier for you?
you say inexpensive food like it's a bad thing...odd that.
My husband is a farmer. Around 2500 acres (give or take, I forget lol, and that’s small for around here. He gets a little heated when he sees arguments like @squishysquid’s. (Love you, really do!!) But the thing of it is, without the farming we have today, the world could not be where it’s at today. Now, whether that is bad or good really all depends which view you look at it from.
I was born and raised on the Llano Estacado. Farmers there measure their fields by the square mile.
They produce cheap food
Poor people don't seem to complain much.
Wow, I didn't know your husband farmed such a large piece of land.
I can understand that he would get upset when his way of life is challenged.
I have no idea how he works his land or what even he grows. I would hope that he does everything in a way that respects the land and God's creation. Every situation is different and every crop needs different things.
Personally, I think creating GMO vegetables and spraying herbicides and pesticides over thousands of acres causes more harm than good. But, that is just my belief. :)
That is quite true, that the world would not be where it is today without the mass farming that has happened. I think good AND bad has come from that.
Either way, no matter what you believe, it is what it is and here we are.
Love you too and glad that we can amicably agree to disagree about things!
Robots will do all those things for us according to the futurists.
Robots (mechanization and automation) has been happening for a hundred years.
back in the day it took a farmer and many helpers to farm a small amount of land.
today it takes one guy and his machines, both owned and contracted, to farm a LOT of land.
but your imagination is limited.
in the future meat will be grown in a vat..
what about vegetables?
And the nutrient sources for vat produced meat will be what?
Technological solutions for a fee that replace natural environmental services provided without cost, are never as elegant.
And the nutrient sources for vat produced meat will be what?
Lab-grown 'clean' meat could be on sale by end of this year
Lab-Grown Meat Finally Available in Chicken Nugget Form
Lab-grown chicken strips, right now
sold in resturants already
Bistro In Vitro is the world's first lab-grown meat restaurant
Technological solutions for a fee that replace natural environmental services provided without cost, are never as elegant.
Strawman...no one said it would be without cost.
The cost WILL however, be cheaper than what is being paid now.
Seems pretty elegant to me.
Nothing dies.
Again, what are you feeding the meat cultures in the vats?
What new waste streams are created?
When an industry is required to account for the cost of environmental externalities (like pollution) the value they add to the economy is reduced to less than zero. That means someone else pays those costs, usually people of lower economic status.
See “Environmental Accounting For Pollution in the United States Economy” by Muller, Mendelsohn, and Nordhaus.
“Nothing dies” is a questionable conclusion until the unintended consequences become evident.
Well, I know I am not offering a solution at all. At this point, I dont know if there IS a solution.
But, generally speaking, the way out of a hole is not by digging it deeper.
Im not saying inexpensive food is a bad thing in and of itself. (Although food laced with toxic chemicals IS.)
The problem is when the small farmers, the small businesses, cannot compete with mass production. That's why people get angry about the dirt cheap things coming in from China and elsewhere, it puts the people here out of a job.
Haha, and I never said EVERYONE needs to grow their own food. I DO think people should make an effort if they can. It doesnt take much time and space to grow a windowbox of herbs, or a tomato on the patio, but I realize not EVERYONE can do this. Back in the day, they also had people who's jobs did not involve growing food.
The issue is that over time more and more small farmers have been bought out or forced out of business by corporate giants. The same thing has happened in other areas, other types of business. That's why 'Mom and Pop stores are no longer a thing. Then they have a monopoly over the business and no one can compete with them. The 'Mom and Pop's' can't make a living with their business anymore and are forced to go and work for someone else.
Is this a problem?
Yes. I think so.
What is the solution?
I do not know.
Does the term luddite ring any bells?
how well has that EVER worked out?
Nope, did not ring any bells, so I Googled it.
a member of any of the bands of English workers who destroyed machinery, especially in cotton and woolen mills, which they believed was threatening their jobs
Hmmm... well, apparently THAT didn't work out...
:D
it didn't ring any bells?
really?
ahem.
well..for your information what you googled is correct.
it's also a generic term for those who are opposed to advancing technology.
what will all the buggy whip makers do for a living with all those new fangled horseless carraiges?
what will taxi drivers do for a living with Uber and even WORSE...robot cars?
what will.....(and the list goes on)
how did ANY of them work out?
is there any reason to think that it will be different this time?
Haha, nope, I am not an expert in the history of English economics. Im not ashamed to admit I dont know everything. :)
Im not saying technology shouldn't advance. It should and it will.
Dumping chemical poisons into the ground and on our food is what I have a problem with.
No need to get snotty and sarcastic. Thought it was a friendly debate?
What is the solution?
I do not know.
I do.
Higher and higher and more advanced technology.
Technology creates wealth.
wealth trickles down from the rich to the poor
(people in romania can make more money on steemit than from salary at a job...not to mention Venezuala)
Glad you have it all figured out! ;)
thank you.
Hi @everittdmickey
I am a born farmer and would suggest GMO is not good. I know of this and not only this attribute of GMOs but also to ones where worms does not eat your crop.
I agree it saves a lot of effort and money for workers to clean in between the crop and there are a lot of advantages to it but at what cost (referring to corn specifically)?
You do not only take away work from people trying to make a honest living but you are also advancing a health risk. I have not gone into detail as to what health issues this causes but it sounds like a few and it sounds serious. Maybe there is no health risk like a lot of people claim but this does not sound correct because there must be something wrong with crops which worms won't even eat.
The alternative is that we keep on farming the old fashion way and the state subsidize farmers which will allow not only healthier foods but also create work.
I have been wanting to do research on this for a long time but have not come around to it. Maybe I'll change my mind when I finally start but I doubt it. I hear a lot of stories, especially a link between the increased allergies among children and GMO and if there is one thing I will be overly conservative on, it is in a healthier direction.
Excellent points @dpl!
not using herbicides requires.
which leads to
and
are you ok with that?
Agreed it has a detrimental effect when it comes to erosion but what's your focus? The environment or health?
It's not possible to show impressive photos when it comes to the detrimental effect on the health of the people eating these crops.
Ironically herbicides used in sprying GMOs also has a bad effect on the environment it's just not possible to show it in such an impressive set of images.
But I agree with you, just letting this happen is not an option.
Oddly enough you make some statements then say that it's not possible to prove it.
Not impossible to prove. I refer specifically to impressive images as in your response which any person could see is not good.
Proof of GMO harmful effects:
(Image Source - Harvard.edu)
Proof of herbicides harmful effects:
Is this proof? That is why I say, the topic is still to be researched as anyone can write stuff. Finding the correct information is where it gets tricky.
Hence my conclusion earlier, for now I will stay on the safe side and not eat GMO as far as possible. My reasoning is the same as yours. We look at the images and see that conventional planting methods is damaging the environment. I look at the worms not eating the crops and think to myself there must be a good reason far that.
ok...you go ahead and farm organically.
Is it ok if I decide I'd rather eat genetically engineered food?
Not attacking you for your point of view @everittdmickey. I see your point and I'm having a conversation. Will also never attempt to tell you what to do, but will always try and understand.
Is this proof?
nope...it's opinion.
what I posted you can see with your own two eyes..
nope...it's opinion.
Agreed that's why I said:
"That is why I say, the topic is still to be researched as anyone can write stuff. Finding the correct information is where it gets tricky."
what I posted you can see with your own two eyes..
Agreed that's why I said:
"We look at the images and see that conventional planting methods is damaging the environment."
But does this mean if we can't see it with our own eyes it has no effect?
I look at the worms not eating the crops and think to myself there must be a good reason far that
that's an entirely different subject. I was speaking of no till..