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In 1990 or '91, we hosted a Russian mother and her 14yo daughter, Valentina and Masha, who had come to the US through the Rotary Club's international exchange. The family consisted of the father and mother (who were both professors) and the daughter, and they lived in Moscow. We had to go to the grocery store for something, and the daughter walked through the produce aisle just stunned at the abundance. I felt ashamed, because I knew that much of that beautiful stuff would go to waste.
Valentina told me that they were fortunate because they had a small garden in the country where they raised vegetables during the summer, so they ate better than many. It had been some weeks since Valentina had talked to her husband, so on Easter we urged her to call her husband. She was so grateful to talk to him for just a minute or two. It cost $10. How things have changed.
Sara's Enterolab results
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MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Ant,
Academics are not likely to do much boat-rocking, as a group, because they're all members of the "Good Old Boys Club", too, with lots of consulting ties to industry, (that's where most of their research money comes from).
I believe that Zizzle pretty accurately summed up the situation from the government's viewpoint - many politicians count on getting reelected on a "cheap food" policy, and their constituents tend to scream bloody murder if food prices get too high, or a shortage appears imminent.
Remember all the government "Farm Subsidy Programs" over the past 50 or 60 years? They were claimed to be enacted to help preserve the family farm. But look at what has happened since they came into being. The family farm is now pretty much of a hobby pursuit, with only a tiny fraction of agricultural production coming from family farms. Instead, (in the U. S., at least), the lion's share of agricultural production comes from farms that have evolved into large/huge complex operations. Why? Because the government's "cheap food" policy has forced economy of scale in agriculture, in order to prosper, (or survive, for that matter). The "Family Farm" image was simply used as a "poster child" to sell their programs, so that they could ensure that they achieved their goal of the cheapest possible production of an abundant food supply, by whatever means was necessary. And it worked extremely efficiently, until they decided to try to ensure "cheap fuel", also, and in the process they threw a monkey wrench into the agricultural machinery, by mandating that a huge portion of our annual crop production must go to ethanol production.
Unfortunately, Big Oil is much smarter than the government, and they're well organized, whereas agricultural producers are not, so Big Oil took their money and made a fool of the government, without allowing ethanol to put much of a dent into oil prices. As a result, now we have high fuel prices, and high food prices.
Hmmmmm. I got a little side-tracked, didn't I.
Tex
Academics are not likely to do much boat-rocking, as a group, because they're all members of the "Good Old Boys Club", too, with lots of consulting ties to industry, (that's where most of their research money comes from).
I believe that Zizzle pretty accurately summed up the situation from the government's viewpoint - many politicians count on getting reelected on a "cheap food" policy, and their constituents tend to scream bloody murder if food prices get too high, or a shortage appears imminent.
Remember all the government "Farm Subsidy Programs" over the past 50 or 60 years? They were claimed to be enacted to help preserve the family farm. But look at what has happened since they came into being. The family farm is now pretty much of a hobby pursuit, with only a tiny fraction of agricultural production coming from family farms. Instead, (in the U. S., at least), the lion's share of agricultural production comes from farms that have evolved into large/huge complex operations. Why? Because the government's "cheap food" policy has forced economy of scale in agriculture, in order to prosper, (or survive, for that matter). The "Family Farm" image was simply used as a "poster child" to sell their programs, so that they could ensure that they achieved their goal of the cheapest possible production of an abundant food supply, by whatever means was necessary. And it worked extremely efficiently, until they decided to try to ensure "cheap fuel", also, and in the process they threw a monkey wrench into the agricultural machinery, by mandating that a huge portion of our annual crop production must go to ethanol production.
Unfortunately, Big Oil is much smarter than the government, and they're well organized, whereas agricultural producers are not, so Big Oil took their money and made a fool of the government, without allowing ethanol to put much of a dent into oil prices. As a result, now we have high fuel prices, and high food prices.
Hmmmmm. I got a little side-tracked, didn't I.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Dear Zizzle and Tex,
I think Zizzle has put her finger on the terrible truth.
I would divide thinkers on this subject into 3 segments.
1. Those who are not (yet) conscious of the issues (probably most people).
2. Those who understand the issue, but are happy to take the rewards for providing short term solutions.
3. Those who understand the issue and realize that Thomas Robert Malthus (although ahead of his time) was right, and also realize that all solutions are untenable.
Best, ant
I think Zizzle has put her finger on the terrible truth.
I would divide thinkers on this subject into 3 segments.
1. Those who are not (yet) conscious of the issues (probably most people).
2. Those who understand the issue, but are happy to take the rewards for providing short term solutions.
3. Those who understand the issue and realize that Thomas Robert Malthus (although ahead of his time) was right, and also realize that all solutions are untenable.
Best, ant
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"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
Ant,
Well, Malthus is correct, of course. He even explains the difficulty we face when trying to convince others to remove gluten from their diets, with his observation that one can not change human nature.
Of course, obviously, we face that same dilemma in our own lives. 
Thanks for the insight.
Tex
Well, Malthus is correct, of course. He even explains the difficulty we face when trying to convince others to remove gluten from their diets, with his observation that one can not change human nature.
Of course, obviously, we face that same dilemma in our own lives. Thanks for the insight.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.