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The soil eroding practice of monoculture farming is typical on industrial farms—where a single farm only grows one type of crop across their entire area of land. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reports 75 % of our agriculture's genetic diversity disappeared in this past century. This is during the pinnacle of industrial production. The resulting monoculture crops are genetically limited and far more susceptible to insects, blights, diseases, and bad weather than are diverse crops. All of these consequences amplify the need for pesticides and fertilizers.
Industrial food companies summit the food transport business, relying on vehicles to ship their large quantity of products around the world. It's reported that a single plate of industrial food is shipped an average of 1,500 miles before reaching our kitchen. What does this matter, you may ask? Well, it means that through purchasing industrial made food we as consumers support a lethal dependence on petroleum.
Unfortunately, the term industrial is not only associated with conventional farming these days. It is also paired with organic agriculture, since some of the largest agribusinesses like General Mills are also the largest producers of organic produce. You can imagine the disdain our non-industrial, organic food pioneers feel about this. And while large industrial organic companies meet the USDA organic criteria, they do rely on shipping their organic fare thousands of miles and in some reports also use the monoculture method of farming.
Read the next page "What is Demeter USA or Biodynamic?"
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