Introducing
INSIGHT INTO FERTILIZER
Food supplies have for many years now been subject to infiltration by chemical fertilizers, and although they have produced larger crops using this method in the short term, the long term effects are just beginning to come to light.
The taste of chemically produced food often tastes slightly metallic to that of organically grown crops. But it is the effect on the soils that highlight the biggest dangers and the more intensive the use of fertilizers on the land, the quicker the demise of the soil becomes apparent!
The Chemical Fertilizer catch.
How are these problems caused? Intensive cattle and livestock farming, especially by modern farm factories, and heavy dependence upon chemical fertilizers. These produce high quantities of Phosphorus and Nitrogen which find their way into the water table and into our streams, rivers, and eventually, the seas.
They also affect the soil itself by burning the ecological system within it, and as these micro-organisms die off, so too does the dependant insect and birdlife. Soil structure will also break down and the cohesive bond between all the elements of the soil will cease to exist resulting in erosion and instability. As this happens, there is an increased need to apply more and more of these fertilizers to keep the land productive, and it also encourages the more undesirable plants that we generally call weeds to invade.
Again, we have all heard the term 'Super-weeds', and make no mistake, farmers around the world are having serious difficulties in keeping these aggressive plants in check from strangling their crops and rendering them useless. All in all, the cycle is self-destroying and though it does take many years to get to the advanced stages, these effects are coming home to roost. Two things to note, this is not about small farms that have existed for centuries in total harmony with the land and nature, it is however laid at the feet of globalism!
Over time as globalism has swallowed up our small farms by strangling their incomes by creating unfair practices by using lobbyists in our governments, more restraints and regulations which also cost, destroying local outlets for their produce and luring customers away with smoke and mirror tactics to gigantic supermarkets.
We all know this is true for many of us have lived with these facts during our lives on this planet, and we know too that the systems in place today favour only one type of establishment - Globalism!
SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
A new world is dawning!
Well, the turnaround has already begun and has been building up since the 60-70s and gaining momentum every year. The keyword for this was/is ORGANIC, a word you have no doubt heard of in your travels and one that may, or may not, be of significance to you.
Our experiences in running a health store for many years gave us an insight into people's perceptions of this word, and often the reactions to it were as different as chalk and cheese. Being a health store we obviously attracted more people that really supported this word and tried to live by it as much as their income would allow. There was also a number who used the store on an ad-hoc basis and had no such beliefs in the word itself or its meanings as a way of life.
Firstly, let us look at this word itself and agree upon its meaning to all concerned. ORGANIC - a food product that is produced by a farming system that avoids the use of man-made fertilizers, pesticides; growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. Irradiation and the use of genetically modified organisms are also shunned.
So, by these terms, the word Organic means, Naturally produced food using strictly animal or vegetable origin fertilizers made from naturally occurring materials. In other words, the way the world has always worked for millennia until the introduction of chemical compounds in the industrial revolution. Although chemicals were produced before that time it was in much smaller quantities so would have affected the farming methods of those times in very limited ways.
At this stage, I sincerely hope that we agree so far and have set a basis for our belief in Organics. Often you would get people that would say 'I don't believe in Organic!', which is rather a silly opinion as to whether you follow the principles of Organic or not, it is still Organic. This attitude can be laid directly at the door of, yes, you guessed it, globalism itself. Since the early 1900s (at least), the globalist masters have done a splendid hatchet job on anything Organic, Naturally produced, Natural remedies, Natural therapies, etc, etc. So much so, that many people will openly scoff and shame others who support these things, I kid you not. As natural compounds cannot be copyrighted and therefore owned by individuals or companies, the globalists need to be able to destroy any reliance on things they could not control. Hence the constant attacks over the years on any product, service, or compound that made individuals more independent.
However, even with all of the adverse publicity, they get their media outlets to print and reiterate, they have been slowly but surely losing ground against a rising swell of belief in more natural ways to live our lives. And this has led to a new dawn in the production of foods, the treatment of illness, even the way we live our lives on a daily basis and this all revolves around the natural elements of our world.
THERE LIES THE BASIS FOR CHANGE!
Having seen how our way of life for ALL of us has been constructed to shape our decisions and beliefs in how we view our planet and each other, we can now move on to what we do about it.
Changes can be uncomfortable for many of us whether you are a producer of products or just a consumer of such. But change we must not only for ourselves but for the future generations that follow behind who also wish to enjoy what this planet can offer on so many levels.
So what is Sustenance?
You may have heard the term 'sustenance' before and dismissed the thought as not being connected to you in any way. The word sustenance has many meanings depending on what you apply it to and also the way you apply it, but this page is not about teaching you to use English proficiently, it is to highlight how this word is used in natural sustainability settings.
Dictionaries will give you various meanings for the definition of this word such as means of sustaining or supporting life or health, nourishment, especially food and drink, and this is the definition we shall look at.
The purpose of this article is not to give scientific data on sustainability, not to anger the local farmer over his/her methods, and certainly not to force my opinions on to others. It is merely to open your mind to the possible solutions that could enrich all of our lives if we only just give them serious considerations and investigate the possibilities.
The changes in food production have surely not escaped your attention, as even the globalist supermarkets have entered the fray by installing in house farmer's markets, Organic foodstuff from around the world, and even using the terms of sustainability and eco-friendly to the point of sales so that you identify their businesses with a natural and earth-friendly outlook.
This is, however, not the whole story in many cases. Big businesses will stop at nothing to outdo their rivals and improve their bottom lines so that telling the odd fib, if not blatant lie, is just a way of life. Accountants and shareholders run a big business, not people, and as such are far more open to nefarious activities than say the local butcher or farmer may use.
It is not possible to run intensive farming practices on organic principles because there is a divergence in logistics that is not easily overcome.
So what we have seen as of late is an organized attempt by food producers in the world to take their offerings directly to the public on a local basis at first, and if run correctly, nationwide. Hence the growth of local food markets, farmer's markets, farm shops, supplying local stores, and other businesses that require a constant supply of products to turn into other items such as ready-meals, etc. The possibilities seem endless and there are more than enough clever and inventive people out there who have ideas that benefit local producers. Even the farmers themselves have turned into businessmen by using their natural products to turn into ice-creams, cheeses, and all manner of end-user products which have delighted the general public who seem to require more each year.
And so, what is the outcome from this newfound entrepreneurial expedition into businesses up and down our countries? Local sustainability, keeping earnings and employment within the communities where the products are made, keeping farming away from globalists and firmly in the hands of small producers who care more for their farms, their workers, their livestock, and even the environment they operate in. Whichever way you wrap that baby up, is a win-win for us all.
As this business model progresses and more turn to these sustainable practices, there is a natural move to sustain our environment and the nature within it and this is the first block of saving our planet from turning into a 'poison planet'. One final thing worth mentioning is that wherever greed rears its ugly head, you will have conflicts of interest also appear.
Those that seek to make a way of life for themselves and their families are a stark contrast to those that just wish to become rich beyond their dreams and use everything at their disposal to do so. Then you have the beginnings of another globalist.