The world wide debate on the effects of conventional farming practices on soil fertility is getting a lot of attention. And so it should, as many start taking ecologists' warnings more serious and are discovering for themselves that maintenance of soil fertility is critical to the sustainability of our food supply.What we end up with from conventional farming is not just poor soil health and poor plant health but also our food supply becoming deficient and toxic leading to our bodies becoming deficient and toxic.
Over the short term, these vitamin and mineral deficiencies manifest themselves as mood swings, lack of energy, joint pain, failing eyesight, hearing loss and thousands of other ailments that medical science would tell us to accept with advancing age.
Over the long term, these deficiencies contribute to major illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and mental Illness.
So where do we go from here?
As Jerome I. Rodale (founder of Rodale Press and known for his Prevention Magazine) noted many years ago:
"The health of the people is dependent upon the quality of the food they consume. And the quality of their foods depends on the quality of the soil on which that food is grown."
It was from studying the Hunzan people, who are nestled in the mountains of
Their sophisticated system was fully symbiotic. The agricultural terraces where the crops grew were strategically irrigated with the mineral rich water that flowed down the mountain. Commercial pesticides and fertilizers were not available to them so instead they used the mineral rich ash from wood fires and carefully collected compost from the village.
As this process was repeated endlessly over the centuries it conditioned and enriched the soil with minerals and through their intelligent farming practices there were never any issues with top soil erosion.
This shows that the health of our soil and our methods of agriculture are critical to the supply of our food chain. In addition, interestingly enough, top soil erosion has played a determining role in the decline and demise of many great civilizations including those of the ancient
It is estimated that more than 3 billion tons of topsoil is eroded from US farmlands each year and soil is eroding seven times faster than it is being built up naturally. In organic farming, soil is the foundation of the food chain and it is therefore critically important to support organic and sustainable agriculture sooner rather than later for the health of our people.
From a health perspective when we choose organics, we not only look after the health of our own body and immune system but also the health of our family, the health of our soil and the health of our planet. Therefore, everyone wins.
Click here for more information on Foods for Fibromyalgia - Wellness Coaching Programs
Sign up for our free Bi-Weekly Newsletter
