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Quotes about Agribusiness from the world's top natural health / natural living authors

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"However, the USDA's raison d'etre is to promote the interests of agribusiness, cattlemen, and dairy farmers, not to promote sound nutrition. That has always been the problem with USDA recommendations, particularly regarding the food pyramid. The USDA's interest in promoting agribusiness is at odds with its attempts to recommend a healthful diet. Historically, lobbyists for the dairy and cattle industries have pressured the USDA to include recommendations for dietary intakes of meat and dairy products that are not always in the best interests of our health." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"William Heffernan's Consolidation in the Food and Agricultural System reports that about a dozen agribusiness middlemen who package, process and deliver our food (like Cargill, Monsanto and Archer Daniels Midland) make most of the profit whenever consumers buy something produced by farmers. U.S. farmers commit suicide at four times the national average." - Adam Leith Gollne, The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession (Get the book.)

"The nutrient levels in foods have been degraded by the advent of large-scale, high-production agribusiness. Many foods are now notably less nutritious than they were in the days when small farms dominated agriculture. Forces such as monoculture of crops, hybridization, and intense fertilization have resulted in devitalized grains, fruits, and vegetables that often look large, glossy, and healthy, but are in reality only a few steps above junk food." - Kenneth Bock, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders (Get the book.) "Another reason to buy organic food is that it often contains higher levels of nutrients than food that is derived from the mass-production agribusiness system. Organic foods often cost more, but for most kids the expense is a worthwhile investment in recovery, if it's financially feasible for the family. In the remainder of this chapter, let's examine the six diets, one at a time. Don't be overwhelmed by the amount of information. It's mostly all just good common sense." - Kenneth Bock, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders (Get the book.)

"This economic reality of high-priced fresh foods is going to encourage you to frequent farmer's markets, co-ops, and locally grown foods where the costs are much lower for higher-quality foods because the prices are not controlled by agribusiness, which tends to push the high-calorie junk foods. Buying local food straight from the farmer puts you in closer touch with the origin of the food, cuts a significant portion of the time and money spent transporting and "selling" the food, saves you money, and places more dollars in the pocket of those who produce your food." - Gabriel Cousens, There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program (Get the book.)

"With the birth of agriculture approximately ten thousand years ago, and the rise of global agribusiness in the last two centuries, contemporary diets have become progressively more divergent from the diets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors who foraged freely for their food." - Peter J. Whitehouse and Daniel George, The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis (Get the book.)

"Today's foods are less nutritious than their counterparts of yesteryear, owing largely to methods employed by modern agribusiness to increase agricultural yield and shelf life—at the expense of nutrient content and consumer health. The combined stresses of nutrient depletion and toxicity lead to liver stress, dysfunction, and ultimately disease. The daily toll that is taken on our livers by undernutrition (often coupled with overeating) and toxic overload is not immediately apparent." - Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith, The Detox Strategy: Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps (Get the book.)

"Methyl bromide causes respiratory illnesses, convulsions and acute mania, alongside intensely depleting ozone levels, yet U.S. agribusiness forces have managed repeatedly to delay its banning, citing emergency "critical uses" stipulations in the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Supposed to be totally eliminated by 2005, it is still used on strawberries. Mass sprayings of Round Up?Monsanto's glyphosate herbicide—have endangered human health and wiped out myriad flora and fauna." - Adam Leith Gollne, The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession (Get the book.) "As a result, big growers now plant dwarf fruit trees. agribusiness farms have been trying for years to replace human pickers with robots. Newton Research Labs have developed machine vision systems that can detect different shapes and colors. New Zealand's kiwis are now being sorted, graded and even pollinated by robots that work twenty-four hours a day. These automatons, which are overseen by 1.5 humans per eight-hour shift, "also collect data that will enable coolstore operators to decide which fruit to market and at what time," explains designer Dr. Rory Flemmer." - Adam Leith Gollne, The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession (Get the book.)

"The USDA's interest in promoting agribusiness is at odds with its attempts to recommend a healthful diet. Historically, lobbyists for the dairy and cattle industries have pressured the USDA to include recommendations for dietary intakes of meat and dairy products that are not always in the best interests of our health." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"The nutritional value of our food has been compromised by factors that range from corporate agribusiness, overfarming, and depleting the nutrient levels of the soil to food conglomerates like Kraft, Nestle, and Nabisco putting highly processed, high-glycemic-load foods on the market that contribute to every health problem we see today, from heart disease to dementia. The poor nutritional value of our food is further complicated by the extraordinary amounts of toxic chemicals that have entered our food supply and our bodies." - Mark Hyman MD, The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First (Get the book.)

"This is an anti-competition scam that is helping multinational agribusiness destroy our rural communities. The New Hunter-Gatherer has a social responsibility to help change this situation through purchasing decisions. If we don't do this, high-quality food may soon disappear entirely from our food supply. The guardians of the quality of our food supply are not the federal government, the FDA, the EPA, or multinational agribusinesses. This is like having the fox in charge of the chicken coup. The true guardians are the sustainable family farmers; they are the heroes." - Byron J. Richards, The Leptin Diet: How Fit Is Your Fat? (Get the book.)

"Dairy is not only almost always pasteurized, but with the recent rise of agribusiness techniques designed solely for profit in the dairy industry, milk comes from sick cows that are pumped up with antibiotics and hormones. In fact milk is filled with pus cells from these sick cows' udders! This situation was exacerbated when Monsanto's artificial growth hormone began to be fed to dairy cattle to boost milk production. Their milk began to routinely exceed FDA guidelines for pus cell content." - Susan E. Schenck, The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet (Get the book.) "Government officials, receiving campaign contributions from agribusiness, pass laws subsidizing only toxic commercial farming and cattle ranching practices! In other words, your tax dollars are assisting in poisoning you. Because of the higher retail cost of organic produce, the advice to go organic is often met with resistance. When most people think of organic produce, they think it simply means "pesticide-free." But there is a whole lot more at stake. Nutritional Value You might buy a pound of organic apples for $2." - Susan E. Schenck, The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet (Get the book.) "A friend of mine who traveled to South America says the locals in the country he visited don't eat the food that has been grown under agribusiness contract and sprayed with costly pesticides. Locals can't afford that produce, as independent growers don't have the money to buy pesticides. The big farming operations use pesticides only on export crops. Ironically, the common populace is saved by poverty: they don't have enough money to buy poisoned food. Thus we rich Americans are "privileged" to eat only the most toxic stuff!" - Susan E. Schenck, The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet (Get the book.) "Meanwhile, pressure from agribusiness has resulted in legislation being introduced in Congress to outlaw counties from banning GMOs. Undoubtedly the most disturbing consequences of food sprayed with pesticide have been the damage done to the natural defense mechanisms of bees. Bees are disappearing from all over the world, and we are in grave danger of losing them. According to experts, colony collapse disorder is caused by bees having their natural defense mechanisms destroyed by pesticides and genetically modified foods. They are unable to fight against the viruses that are destroying them." - Susan E. Schenck, The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet (Get the book.)

"The agreement included a pledge to divest about 20 percent of Monsanto's agribusiness interests, reflecting adverse publicity and consumer acceptance of the company's genetically engineered food particularly in Europe. January 1, 2000: The European Union (EU) converted its 1990 moratorium on the uses and marketing of rBGH into a formal ban. April 3, 2000: Monsanto and Pharmacia & Upjohn merged to form the new Pharmacia Corporation, with an autonomous Monsanto agricultural subsidiary." - Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., What's In Your Milk?: An Exposé of Industry and Government Cover-Up on the Dangers of the Genetically Engineered (rBGH) Milk You're Drinking (Get the book.)

"Corporate research into GM crops is not geared toward redesigning crops for free distribution to the world's poorer farmers but toward design-patented products that prop up agribusiness and generate wealth for a powerful few. Nonetheless, genetic modification is not inherently evil, and when applied with wisdom, it can have positive results. An excellent example is New Rice for Africa (NERICA), a strain of rice that may succeed in bettering health in West and Central Africa, restoring agricultural sus-tainability there, and improving the economics of food importation in the regions." - Alex Steffen, Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century (Get the book.)

"Most of our food now comes from large-scale producers who rely on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and animal drugs, and inhumane confinement animal production. In agribusiness, the main emphasis is on getting the highest possible yields and profits; nutrient content (and flavor) are, at best, second thoughts. This shift in production methods is clearly giving us less nutritious eggs and meat. Beef from cattle raised in feedlots on growth hormones and high-grain diets has lower levels of vitamins E, A, D and beta carotene, and twice as much fat, as grass-fed beef." - Mark Sircus, Transdermal Magnesium Therapy (Get the book.) "Cheryl Long and Lynn Keiley writing for Mother Earth News3 tell us that "American agribusiness is producing more food than ever before, but the evidence is building that the vitamins and minerals in that food are declining. For example, eggs from free-range hens contain up to 30% more vitamin E, 50% more folic acid and 30% more vitamin B12 than factory eggs. "Most of our food now comes from large-scale producers who rely on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and animal drugs, and inhumane confinement animal production." - Mark Sircus, Transdermal Magnesium Therapy (Get the book.)

"Over the long run, we simply can't afford not to, despite what agribusiness interests will argue. We can greatly improve conventional farming practices from both environmental and economic perspectives by adopting elements of organic technologies. Oddly, our government subsidizes conventional farming practices, whereas the market places a premium on organic produce. A number of recent studies report that organic farming methods not only retain soil fertility in the long term, but can prove cost effective in the short term." - David R. Montgomery, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (Get the book.)

"Corporate agribusiness Research Project P.O. Box 2201 Everett, WA 98203-0201 (425) 258-5345 Council for Responsible Genetics 5 Upland Road Cambridge, MA 02140 (617) 868-0870 Council of Canadians 502-521 Slater Street Ottawa, Canada K1P5H3 (613) 233-2773 Department of Environmental Studies CSU—Sacramento 6000 J St." - Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., What's In Your Milk?: An Exposé of Industry and Government Cover-Up on the Dangers of the Genetically Engineered (rBGH) Milk You're Drinking (Get the book.)

"The majority of our food supply is now produced by large agribusiness. Crops produced by this fast-food farming industry rely on sterilization of insects and weeds through significant applications of chemicals, rather than focusing on the health of the land or the biodiversity of crops. The introduction of genetically modified foods (GMO) tampers with the essence of life in an experiment with an unknown outcome and no real way to undue the damage. The FDA purposely does not require labeling of GMO food, since no one who understands the issue would ever purchase it." - Byron J. Richards, The Leptin Diet: How Fit Is Your Fat? (Get the book.)

"Never mind those pesky government subsidies and tax breaks to big agribusiness and food manufacturers that make unhealthy food so cheap and ubiquitous. Thank goodness Uncle Sam has created a Web site to counter all that. At a press conference unveiling the new pyramid, USDA Secretary Mike Johanns shared the stage with fitness guru Denise Austin. Introduced by Johanns as a "wife and mother," Austin, overflowing with energy, implored reporters to join her in a stretching routine. That the federal government's unveiling of a $2." - Michele Simon, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back (Get the book.)

"Not surprisingly, agribusiness portrays pesticide and fertilizer intensive agriculrure as necessary to feed the world's poor. Even though almost a billion people go hungry each day, industrial agriculture may not be the answer. Over the past five thousand years population kept pace with the ability to feed people. Simply increasing food production has not worked so far, and it won't if population growth keeps up. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reports that farmers already grow enough to provide 3,500 calories a day to every person on the planet." - David R. Montgomery, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (Get the book.)

"One of the top government watchdog groups in the US capital, EWG was busy writing exposes about dangerous pesticides in the country's food supply and tracking millions of dollars in wasteful subsidies to big agribusiness. Taking a few weeks out to write a report about nail polish seemed like a good way to get laughed out of the environmental community. But Jane Houlihan's discovery that a chemical linked to birth defects was a common ingredient in nail polish was unsettling. She suspected it wasn't the whole story either." - Stacy Malkan, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry (Get the book.)

"As noted in Philip Mattera's report "How agribusiness Has Hijacked Regulatory Policy at the U.S. Department of Agriculture": In its early days, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was dubbed the "People's Department" by President Lincoln, in recognition of its role in helping the large portion of the population that worked the land. Some 140 years later, USDA has been transformed into something very different." - Linda Faillace, Mad Sheep: The True Story Behind the USDA's War on a Family Farm (Get the book.)

"Due to the vested interests in agribusiness, the EPA cannot get these chemicals out of our food supply. Pregnant women should eat all organic food and avoid contact with any chemical cleaners or chemical pesticides during pregnancy. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a toxin of industrial pollution that contaminates our food supply to this day. It is rapidly absorbed into white adipose tissue and will saturate breast tissue. Not only does this increase the risk for breast cancer in women with a particular genetic susceptibility, these poisons will readily enter the milk supply of the mother." - Byron J. Richards, The Leptin Diet: How Fit Is Your Fat? (Get the book.) "It should be pointed out that the ADA receives large amounts of funding from fast-food agribusiness; as a result, they do not explain true food quality to the American public. Eat appropriate amounts of real food with moderate sugar calories at mealtimes. Most sugar in the diet should come from fresh fruit and complex whole-grain carbohydrates. Moderation, not deprivation, is the key. If you feel deprived of the taste of sweets from these guidelines, realize you are a sweet addict and have succumbed to the marketing ploys of the vested-interest trash-food monopoly." - Byron J. Richards, The Leptin Diet: How Fit Is Your Fat? (Get the book.)

"The agreement to merge included a pledge to divest about 20 percent of Monsanto's agribusiness interests, reflecting adverse publicity and consumers' rejection of the company's genetically engineered foods, particularly in Europe. May 18, 2000: Monsanto opened a new $100 million Posilac manufacturing plant in Augusta, GA. to supplement production in the Austrian Biochemie Kundl plant." - Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., What's In Your Milk?: An Exposé of Industry and Government Cover-Up on the Dangers of the Genetically Engineered (rBGH) Milk You're Drinking (Get the book.)

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