Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed The World, And Keep Us Safe (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
While I agreed with the overall premise -- I love the organic industry and would like to see it continue to grow -- the science seemed a little too black and white. I'm not saying that it's wrong, because I don't know, but I doubt that organic farming is the solution to all the world's ills and conventional farming (and the chemical companies) are the root of all evil. I suspect the situation is a lot more complex than that and contains a lot more shades of gray. However, I'll continue to buy and support organic when I can, and hope that the food industry as a whole continues to move in a healthier direction. This book is essential reading for anyone sitting on the fence about whether or not to buy organic food.It is very simple to read, well written and only 180 pages.In this book the author explains:- We must demand organic food now- Buying organic is more important than buying local- Organically farmed soil stores carbon- The chemical system of agriculture is killing us- Cheap food means high health costs- Using antibacterial hand washes is like washing your hands in pesticides- Whether or not organic foods have more nutrition is besides the point- There have been significant declines in nutrients in food in the last 50 years- The more we try to isolate ourselves and to defy nature, the more we make ourselves weaker- Synthetic chemicals are destroying our health, and our ability to reproduce- The idea that we can't feed the world without chemical farming is LIE- Chemical farming is a better term than 'conventional farming' as there is nothing conventional or traditional about all the new toxic chemicals being used on farms- Chemicals are not properly tested before being approved for use and are often not removed from use even when proven to be harmful or a cause of cancer- Crop yields are similar between organic and chemical farming when rainfall is average, higher in organic farming when there are floods or drought- Organic farming uses 30% less fossil fuels- Organic farming requires 15% more human labour and so creates jobs- Organic farming provides an economic return equal or higher than chemical farming, and without government subsidiesIt is so easy to get overwhelmed with how much control large corporations have gotten over our lives and our health and our food supply. But we do have some power and what we buy changes the world - so buy organic!You can also help further by buying Fair Trade organic products, plus switching to plant-based cleaning and personal care products and avoiding plastic water bottles.Going 100% organic is very difficult at this point but going 80%, 90%, or 95% organic is still a worthy goal and every change we make helps.This book is highly recommended. The author's passion for the subject is obvious and, I think, infectious.To read about how you can work to undo the damage caused to your health already by pesticides and hormones in food, and the plastics we take in when we use plastic water bottles and other plastic products the book 'Detoxify or Die' by Dr Sherry Rogers is essential reading.Using her daily 'detox cocktail' and an FIR sauna you can get some of this gunk out of your body and improve your health and reduce your risk of disease in the future. The book also explains how modern cutting-edge medical testing can be useful. This program is essential particularly if you are about to start a family or your health has already been affected by your toxic chemical levels.Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E.
What do You think about Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed The World, And Keep Us Safe (2010)?
Can get a little preachy and tends to over simplify all our problems to the way we farm
—amy
Should be required reading for everyone ! Buy organic!
—Bookaholic
