To start with the governments of the sixties, wanted to ensure we have cheap food
at the expense of the farming community. yes large corporate farms are rising at
the disadvantage of families. Soon people will be agricultural peasants on the land
dominated by big companies and you can bet food will cost a lot more once they
own the land. Corporations are buying land all over the world.
People don't take into consideration the quality or whether or not there are proper
food inspections or anything else. The other thing that makes me laugh is organic
food imported. Canadians do understand the the food has to be sprayed when it
enters the country organic or not. Canadians governments changed the rules without
taking into consideration that they placed our food sources in jeopardy.
It should be remember that a country that can't feed itself is a country in danger of
losing its sovereignty. I guess I look at it differently that many because I am a farmer.
Boy Grumpy, I think you hit several important nails squarely on their heads above. Damn well said! It drives me crazy that people (and our governments) don't take food seriously. Oh, we have tons of regulations and rules (and marketing boards, etc.) but I don't think they're seeing the big picture, either today's or the scary one in the future.
In Japan, rice is treated almost as a national treasure. Those folks figured out quite quickly during WWII that if you don't pay attention to your basic foods (ability to produce, sustainability, and all the stuff talked about incessantly by people like me other "fanatics"), then you are basically screwed.
With our "it couldn't happen here because we're Canada" attitude is way beyond silly...it's dangerous. We (the average Canadian) gets far more excited about the latest version of Windows or the latest X-box game or which new cell phone can store over a thousand photos and shine your shoes...and there is never a serious thought given to our food supply. It's simply taken for granted. Period.
I had to chuckle (well, OK, it wasn't exactly a chuckle) a few years ago during one of the many federal election campaigns we've had to endure, when all the political parties were under pressure to spend gobs of dollars to replace crumbling infrastructure in our cities. Spittle was flying at the microphones non-stop as the candidates were falling all over themselves "promising" all these bucks to the cities. It was one of the big "subjects of the day."
I thought about the disappearance of family farms and shrinking populations in smaller towns across this country, and I wondered at the time (and I still do) how things would look a local, pure food movement ever really took hold in Canada. If family farming could find its way back to a profitable and sustainable level, if small towns (which are a great place to raise families) could find their way back to growth by servicing all those farms, and if some of those really fine lifestyles could be brought back to life. What would be the benefits? It's a long list...
Less "strain" on big city infrastructures
Less carbon footprint relative to food
Better quality food (a complete no-brainer)
Smaller, stronger communities
Less pollution from factory farm operations
...and many more, if one gave it some serious thought.
I have no idea how you even begin to get this idea across to the current "McDonald's generation" ("I want it now, and I want it cheap") but I'm hopeful that some day we will begin to arrive at the same conclusion that other countries have understood for a long time...if you lose the ability to feed yourself, you are screwed, with a capital "S." Pretty basic concept.
Some I've talked to about this just dismiss it outright, saying whoever thinks like that is "dreaming." That is true. But don't forget, some of the greatest things in history began with a dream.
I recall a number of years some guy used to make speeches, and he was quite well-known for saying "I HAVE A DREAM." And it came true.
