Terrible news

**JohnSmooth** · 18-04-2007 12:20 PM

Just read this in the news. It seems making farming more intensive (unnatural) is going to be the only way to feed the counties demand for low cost fruit and veg.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,2059592,00.html

**Drew Price** · 18-04-2007 12:28 PM

'You get what you pay for' is going to be more true than ever.

The fact is that population supported by grain based societies has just grown too much to sustain proper nutrition habits but this is not a new problem but rather 1000's of years old.

**hailtotheking** · 18-04-2007 12:32 PM

Another price to pay for the UK becoming more and more over-populated.

**JohnSmooth** · 18-04-2007 12:35 PM

Do you think the depletion of the soils nutrients is an issue that is just swept under the carpet, or are they looking for a way to artificially add the nutrients to the crops. (Carrots now with added beta Carotene)

**Drew Price** · 18-04-2007 12:48 PM

I think this a symptom of health bodies etc trying to break food down into it's constituent nutrient and totally missing the point of what makes food healthy!

With so many compounds present in the foods we eat, many of which remain undiscovered, uncharacterised and not fully understood how can you successfully break food down into a few tens of compounds, fortify with them and then stand back and say 'job done, that's healthy'?

For companies it makes good press (see pretty much all breakfast cereals) for governments it demonstrates they are taking a stand on health - they do have the unenviable task of looking after a growing population and trying to keep them healthy with minimal resources.

**JohnSmooth** · 18-04-2007 12:58 PM

Thats what i notice in supermarkets. A product only has to be low in fat/sugar/salt to be classified as a healthy option. The number of preservatives and colours in the ingredients list just doesnt enter the equation or the fact that the food is processed.

I think this problem with intensive farming will give a boost to the organic food industry. Innocent smoothies actually use the gross details of how a lot of juices are artificially rconstituted and modified to make their own look better. This will be the same for organic farmers.

**Ripped Barbarian** · 18-04-2007 01:29 PM

If you want very good health in todays world you have to eat like an elitist.

Me and my dad shop in tesco regularly and we both agree that 95-96% of the products are just 'chaff' that provide energy and not a lot else and we certainly do not consider eating them.
In fact the products that i consider eating from the supermarket fits on a very small list, a bit of NZ grassfed lamb and a few other things is all i get that is why i have to collect/grow/kill my own food in a lot of cases and only buy organic foods that have been grown in decent soils, organic does not mean the product is nutritious.

I am naturally quite a self centred person so i try and get the very best for myself and not care what others are eating, i am a great believer in 'quality not quantity' in all aspects of life.

**ruthie** · 05-05-2009 06:55 PM

Quote

Originally Posted by Ripped Barbarian

i am a great believer in 'quality not quantity' in all aspects of life.

Me too. I just want my food to taste as it should. I think that we (the rich countries) need to take a long, hard look at our eating habits. The world's population needs re-educating in nutrition and the reasons why we eat.

It seems absurd to be demanding more and more food when we are plagued by health problems such as obesity and related diseases. As a whole, we are eating the wrong things, prepared in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons. I think it's only logical to address these issues first before we start scaremongering about food scarcity.