How food is grown, harvested, and distributed plays a critical role in the nutrients delivered to the consumer.
Industrial agriculture grows food in depleted soil that is supplemented with chemical fertilizers and sprayed with chemical pesticides. The food is harvested before it is ripe, takes 5–14 days to reach consumers, and is typically limited to a few crop varieties 1.
Plants grown in fertile soil have more nutrients in the edible parts of the plant than those grown in infertile soil 2–4. For example, peas grown in fertile soil contained three times more zinc than those grown in infertile soil, and wheat contained five times more selenium 3–5.
Produce grown with pesticides may not develop a natural defense system which can act as beneficial phytochemicals to us, such as isothiocyanates, present in broccoli 6,7.
A fruit or vegetable separated from the vine or stem (the plant) before it is ripe will begin to decline before reaching its full nutrient profile. Once a fruit or vegetable is harvested, it continues to respire resulting in moisture loss, quality and nutrient degradation, and potential microbial spoilage 8. One study found carotenoid levels increase with ripening 9. Vine-ripe tomatoes have higher levels of lycopene, beta-carotene, and soluble fiber than tomatoes ripened off the vine 10.
Maximizing the nutrient output of farming systems calls for a shift in the type of food that’s grown as well as how it’s grown, harvested and distributed. A focus on growing more nutrient-dense crops in place of the high value staple crops necessitates a shift in the current industrial farming practices4,11. The concept of nutrition-sensitive agriculture, described by Jaenicke and Virchow (2013), aims to “narrow the gap between available and accessible food and the food needed for a healthy and balanced diet for all people” (p.679). Research focused on nutrition-sensitive agriculture shows how sustainable agriculture supports the goal of nutrient-dense food while assuring the stability of the system 4,12,13.
Sustainably grown food has less toxins, nitrates, and does not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Therefore, consumption of sustainable foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria 14–16.
How can our shopping habits support nutrition sensitive agriculture?
1. Ramberg J, Mcanalley B. From the Farm to the Kitchen Table : A Review of the Nutrient Losses in Foods. 2002;3(5):1-12. https://www.kwikwap.co.za/health/docs/From the Farm to the Kitchen.pdf.
2. Lauer F, Prost K, Gerlach R, et al. Organic fertilization and sufficient nutrient status in prehistoric agriculture? - Indications from multi-proxy analyses of archaeological topsoil relicts. PLoS One. 2014;9(9). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106244.
3. Zuo Y, Zhang F. Soil and crop management strategies to prevent iron deficiency in crops. Plant Soil. 2011;339(1):83-95. doi:10.1007/s11104-010-0566-0.
4. Miller DD, Welch RM. Food system strategies for preventing micronutrient malnutrition.Food Policy. 2013;42:115-128. doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2013.06.008.
5. Welch RM, Graham RD. Breeding crops for enhanced micronutrient content. Plant Soil. 2002;245(1):205-214. doi:10.1023/A:1020668100330.
6. Mattson MP. Hormesis and disease resistance: activation of cellular stress response pathways. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2008;27(2):155-162. doi:10.1177/0960327107083417.
7. Hayes DP, Hayes DP. Nutritional hormesis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;61(2):147-159. doi:1602507 [pii] 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602507.
8. Rickman JC, Barrett DM, Bruhn CM. Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Part 1. Vitamins C and B and phenolic compounds. J Sci Food Agric. 2007;87(2):930–944. doi:10.1002/jsfa.
9. Skrede G. Freezing Effects on Food Quality. (Jeremiah LE E, ed.). New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.,; 1996. https://www.crcpress.com/Freezing-Effects-on-Food-Quality/eremiah/p/book/9780824793500.
10. Arias R, Lee TC, Specca D, Janes H. Quality comparison of hydroponic tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) ripened on and off vine. J Food Sci. 2000;65(3):545-548. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.2000.tb16045.x.
11. Welch RM, Graham RD. A New Paradigm for World Agriculture: Productive, Sustainable and Nutritious Food Systems to Meet Human Needs. Dev Bull. 1999;49:29-32. doi:10.1177/156482650002100404.
12. Jaenicke H, Virchow D. Entry points into a nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Food Secur. 2013;5(5):679-692. doi:10.1007/s12571-013-0293-5.
13. Keding GB, Schneider K, Jordan I. Production and processing of foods as core aspects of nutrition-sensitive agriculture and sustainable diets. Food Secur. 2013;5(6). doi:10.1007/s12571-013-0312-6.
14. Maggio A, De Pascale S, Paradiso R, Barbieri G. Quality and nutritional value of vegetables from organic and conventional farming. Sci Hortic (Amsterdam). 2013;164:532-539. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2013.10.005.
15. Smith-spangler C, Brandeau ML, Hunter GE, et al. Annals of Internal Medicine | Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review. 2012;(May 2011). http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685.
16. Herencia JF, García-Galavís P a., Dorado JAR, Maqueda C. Comparison of nutritional quality of the crops grown in an organic and conventional fertilized soil. Sci Hortic (Amsterdam). 2011;129(4):882-888. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2011.04.008.
Before reading this blog and staring doing service learning, I have never known that growing plant in fertile soil have more nutrients that growing plant in infertile soil. Anyway, I know that fruit and vegetable grow from seed because I learned that in my service learning experience. I know that before putting seed into the soil I have to prepare the soil first. I have never planted anything before, but I have learned how to plant vegetable from my volunteering. Also, I have never thought that planting something would be this much of a process. From what I heard and read, to plant something into the soil I have to prepare the soil, plant the seed, water it, harvest it—it is like taking care of a new born baby because I have to put a lot of time and effort into it. As you say, if I consume sustainably grown food it will help reduce toxins, nitrates, and antibiotic-resistant. I remembered last week one of my classmates mention that he has change his eating habit from junk food to eating healthier and it made his life even better because he will not get sick easily and he have learned how to use some of the vegetable and herb to cure his girlfriend headache.
ReplyDeleteI had some working knowledge about pesticides and how they can potentially be harmful to crops. I never realized how much harm they could do to produce and how less nutritious they could become. I remember reading the article and a section within this article touched base on most the topics discussed here on this blog. I also had some conversations with vendors at the farmers market that used some of these techniques of growing crops. I asked them if the food is a lot better the way they grow to some one who uses pesticides and non sustainable methods of growing. They talked about the soil and how they perfect to grow the best tasting crops ever. Its cool to see that these techniques are actually being used and many people are working towards sustainability.
ReplyDeleteI also had the same prior knowledge about pesticides and chemicals used when growing crops! I always knew it was harmful but I never really thought about how much less nutritious it makes our food. It is crazy to see how much food is grown in this industry using those harmful products. I think we are really seeing a rise in popularity with farmers markets especially out here on the west coast where more locally sourced food is being grown and sold in towns all over. It is nice to see this culture growing like it is! More awareness should be made about sustainability and continue to see change in the way our food is grown and harvested!
DeleteI have recently started volunteering at a farm for a school class and I have learned a lot about sustainable agriculture. I never knew how much time there was between the time food is harvested and when it is for sale. Also, I was unaware that picking food too early decreases the amount of nutrients in them. I recently watched a documentary called Hungry for Change. It talked about how the quality of the food we eat is what matters. Low nutrient food is not going to do anything for us except make us more hungry. Some ways that we can support nutrition sensitive agriculture is buy shopping at farmers markets. Food at the markets is more likely to have been picked when ripe and brought directly over. If there are no farmers markets around, organic food is a good option because it is pesticide free. It does not use any pesticides or fertilizers. If we take care of our bodies by eating nutrient dense food that is free from pesticides, we will feel better and be able to do more of the things that we love.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear that you are also volunteering in a garden! Part of what I have experienced working in a community-based garden is that everything is so nutrient dense. That is why I agree with your statement that trying to shop locally in farmers markets is better for your health. One article that I would definitely recommend to you is The Evolution of Diet. It was published by National Geographic and it talks about topics such as the general diet of our ancestors. I believe that this article is a good read because it brings up how our ancestors could have been healthier than us due to eating sustainable foods that were local to their region. Overall, I do hope our society begins to realize all of these important things so they too can start doing more of what they love!
DeleteI have some experience and learned a lot about soil from outside work from personal projects and school service learning hours. I know that soil is a big part in growing plant. The fertile soil have more nutrients that growing plant, when a soil lacks the fertile soil the plant life can't survive. I know that preparing the soil before planting or seeds is very important. The soil must be perfect to get the right nutrient. I think it's interesting to see the that just started from the soil can change the sustainably grown food has less toxins, nitrates, and does not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers. I have learn from my volunteering that the soil is the most important part and how offend to water and what kind of process the plant goes through.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting that you have experience in dealing with soil and nutrients! I am very new to the idea of things such as composting and nutrient recycling. If you have any sources that are good for topics such as these, would you mind sending them my way? It would be great to see what others have learned.
DeleteMy knowledge of pesticides before taking classes in this major was limited to the basic understanding that they are harmful chemicals used to speed up and multiply the amount of fruits and vegetables we can harvest at a time. This blog explains that in professional and industry jargon. Much like livestock, the industry has sacrificed sustainability, nutrients, and ethics in order to focus on profit. I wasn’t aware of just how much harm we were causing the fruits and plants we consume and also how much harm they were causing us. The most effective way we can help lift the industry and steer it towards a healthier outlook with our shopping habits is buying products that are grown organically and sustainable. For instance, instead of shopping at a big brand supermarket for our food, we can go to the many farmer’s markets hear in Southern California and help support our local, sustainable farms.
ReplyDeleteMany of us are unaware or lack the knowledge about the damages pesticides bring to us. It’s true that the best way to pursue better habits is to go to local farmer’s markets and support sustainable farms that have safe practices but they aren’t always easily accessible and not everyone can easily afford it. I strongly believe that our government should make labeling of modified items a requirement and start banning harmful pesticides known to cause health issues. What do you think?
DeleteIn my belief, education is a big part of this whole "healthy food" segment of the food industry because not many people get the right education to consume what's right for them. Instead, we are approached by ads and commercials about how beautiful "products" need to be in order for you to buy them and consume. I think early education for younger education will help future generations to steer toward sustainable industry better than trying to fix the beliefs of current generations. Also, like Engie mentioned above, accessibility is very limited for people who live in rural area, and affordability is also a big factor in this "healthier foods" scheme.
DeleteMy mom used to work as a plant technician, someone that specializes in the maintenance and health of plants, and through her I learned a lot about pests that plague plants and how to deal with them in a manner that’s safe for the plant. This knowledge helped us look after our home garden and we dealt with pests in environmentally friendly ways like hand cleaning each leaf and cutting parts that caused the main plant damage. Sometimes our efforts paid off but other times we lost some plants to pests that would eat away at stems and roots. As painful as it was to lose baby fruit and vegetable plants we grew from seeds, it was still ten times better than relying on chemical pesticides to do the job for us. Science has brought so many wonders to us but genetically modified foods and the influx of pesticides is not some of them. When we would compare our tiny home grown tomatoes to ones sold in stores I could smell, taste, and see the differences. While ours were bursting in flavor and taken ripe off the vine, the ones in stores where extremely tasteless, pale red, and cut from the vine before it even ripened. Plants are living things that need nutrients as much as we do and if we disregard the conditions in which they grow in we are choosing to disregard the nutrients we feed ourselves.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this blog post, I knew that pesticides can cause havoc on the body, but now I know exactly why. What stood out to me most was the definition of "nutrition sensitive agriculture" and how it incorporates accessibility to all people. I too would like the organic ag industry to be more affordable and accessible to lower income folk. We all know that organic, pesticide free food is more expensive because it's yields are smaller, but someone's income should not be a barrier to accessing nutritious, vitamin dense foods. Advocating for local farming is also another solution. This article points out the food loses begins losing its nutrition when it is cut off the vine, or left to ripen off the vine, so if more people shopped at local farmer's markets, their food would be nutritious than at the super market since it didn't have to travel so far after it was picked off the vine. In the end, what is the point of eating "healthy food" if it's not at it's most nutritious?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement about the need for more accessible and affordable nutrient-dense foods for all. Until recently, I came to realize the great complexity of the agriculture industry. What really got to me about this issue is how the agriculture industry focuses more on high yield rather than quality. In lectures, I've learned about the Brix Meter, a device that measures the nutrient density of produce. I hope the agriculture industry could focus more on quality of nutrients of the produce they harvest instead of focusing on the yield of the crops. I feel like there should also be more awareness about nutrient-rich produce so the public could put more pressure on agricultural companies to produce nutrient-rich crops.
DeleteEvery dollar we spend is a vote for what we want to see in the market place. When enough votes are cast, the pressure placed on a business leads to change!
DeleteI began to do my community service hours with Justin Litle and I have learned enough but enjoyed working with the vegetables and fruits. This connects with the reading because when handling the produce, it should be done appropriately and carefully. I honestly didn't know much about how the produce should be maintained. But thanks for this article and the community engaging i've been doing has been helping have a better knowledge about fruits and veggies. I believe our shopping habits support nutrition sensitive agriculture in the way that it helps us chose what we really need. The things that should be consumed appropriately and in a very healthy way are the correct items that should be chosen when shopping.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura!
DeleteI totally agree with you. I think it is so important to experience the process that goes into the foods we eat. Although I grew up with my grandma teaching me how to pick fruits and vegetables from her garden--learning how to tell when they are ripe, how to clean and prepare them, and then sometimes learning how to cook them, the service learning opportunities we are doing for our sustainability class in university is a totally different learning experience. I volunteer with Christian Anca at the CSULB ASI University Gardens, and we have had many opportunities to start our very own garden. Toiling the soil, pulling out weeds, planting seeds, and watering plants is a very hard, yet great learning experience! I realized just how much work goes into growing your own food, and at the same time, how to nurture what you plant too. It makes the entire process so worthwhile though, because in the end, we get to harvest our vegetables and taste the wonderful foods we planted!
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ReplyDeleteI think that in order to begin starting more sustainable practices that we must start by buying more locally sourced, organic fruits and vegetables. I personally have been trying to work at a farmers market for my service learning at school, but I have been getting little to no communication from the person in charge. I still would like to get to know a little more about how farmers markets start up and how partnerships with local organic growers start. I think that once we know exactly where are food is coming from, we can begin to build healthier diets for oyrsourse and our families. Once we do this for ourselves we can involve and inform others, and this new pesticide and chemical free grown food trend can go "viral" in a sense. In my personal opinion, word-of-mouth goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicki,
DeleteI agree. Locally sourced organic fruits and vegetables is the best way to go. I have volunteered with Food Forward at the West Hollywood and Santa Monica Farmers Market. It is best to just sign up online on the Food Forward website and then show up and look for people with khaki aprons. For Santa Monica (its a pretty big Farmers Market) they will be on 2nd st. and Arizona. I also had the opportunity to volunteer to help put on the free Mudtown Farmers Market in Watts for the community. It was great to see low income people making the effort to get locally sourced produced.
I think one of the most interesting factors making the industrial food system terrible is the fact that we pick food way too early. I spoke to my friend who works at Sprouts, which is regarded as a healthy place to shop and he told me their apples sit in their fridge for months before hitting the shelves. The only thought I had when I heard this was an over welling feeling of nausea. The reason behind this is that we grow food thousands of miles away from where it gets eaten and that needs to change. Not only are we picking food too early but they we ship it across the globe causing pollution and green house gasses. We have be trained to be used to food staying ripe in our fridge for weeks and it is not right.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago, I have watched a documentary about large farms that distribute to large grocery store chains and one of the key points is that they pick unripe produce so that it can be ripe when it arrives to the seller. At the time it made sense that the unripened produce should be picked as if it was ripe to begin with, they would be rotten by the time it gets to the seller. After reading this blog, I was surprised to find out that the produce does not hold as much produce compared to the produce that was picked when it was ready to be picked. I have always thought that the produce would have the same amount of nutrients, but one was just harder and taste a bit different.
My boyfriend and I went to Vietnam and we did a homestay on a farm. Our host asked us if we wanted ginger tea, and he picked out a ginger from his garden. It is still one of the most delicious ginger we have ever tasted. Till this day we try to find that same flavor profile, but have yet to find the freshest ginger that was just plucked seconds before we enjoyed it. It does not surprise me that we do not have access to sustainable food with less pesticide and chemicals. To feed the majority and for the convenience, it makes sense that we would cut corners in the farming industry and it made sense that not a lot of citizens have the pleasure of knowing what real produce looks and taste like because of this said convenience.
It makes me wonder if we become more conscious consumers, if we can create an environment and culture of buying produce directly from farmers instead of grocery stores?
DeleteThe topic of industrial agriculture is a very new concept that I have come to learn through my sustainability class in university. Although I have consumed products from industrial agriculture for most, if not all of my life, its history and origins are newfound information to me. The idea that the fruits and vegetables from industrial farms are picked way before they are ripe, thus unable to reach their peak nutritionally-valuable states, somehow makes me question just how healthy I was growing up even when my family and I had a veggie dish for lunch or dinner. I did grow up eating a lot of different vegetables, having been raised by my grandparents. We would have vegetables for almost every homecooked meal, ending our meals with some fresh fruit. It is no surprise to me that I have grown up to love greens and other nutritious foods. Luckily, my grandparents also had their own little farm in the backyard, where there were cherry tomatoes, bitter melon (or ampalaya in Tagalog), calamansi (a small citrus fruit), guava, and other fruits and vegetables growing right at home. I had the privilege of eating homecooked meals that incorporated fresh, home-grown products that my family had worked hard to grow and maintain. The meals we had were always so delicious and enjoyable, even bitter melon, which I had to learn to enjoy over the years. When comparing the fresh fruits and vegetables that my grandparents had in their backyard to the fruits and vegetables that I would typically buy when grocery shopping at a Vons or Ralph’s, there is a distinct difference in the products. For instance, the cherry tomatoes from my grandma’s garden are so sweet and flavorful and are so enjoyable to eat because once you pick it from the garden, you give them a little rinse and can eat them right away. Grocery-bought products are not as authentic tasting and do not give me the same experience and sentimental value as the products that are growing at my grandparents’ garden that have memories attached to them.
ReplyDeleteHaving experienced the two sides of the issue, the industrially farmed and the organically farmed foods, there is certainly a whole different taste, and even experience, between the two kinds. Aside from flavor and freshness, to learn that the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables are significantly reduced in industrial agriculture products, makes me rethink my product choices and where I shop for fruits and vegetables. To eat fruits and vegetables is one thing, but to know you are getting these products when they are at their peak nutritional value, is where you really are eating healthy.
Quantity vs. quality is a huge factor when it comes to food. For some, it is a matter of money and they can either get the food that has the nutrients that our bodies need and get a lesser amount or they can get a lot of food that does not have the necessary nutrients, but keeps their stomachs full and satisfied. The food that is more easily available and accessible is not always the food that has the nutrients that our bodies so strongly need. For people who are able, it is a no-brainer to spend a little extra money on food when it means avoiding ingesting toxins, chemical pesticides, and chemical fertilizers, etc. However, low income individuals are left buying the foods that contain chemicals. For example, they may shop in the outside aisles of the grocery store vs. the produce section, because canned goods and boxed foods are cheaper. Unfortunately, these foods do not have any nutritional value and are terribly bad for us. I recently read a study and the good news is that more and more people are avoiding the outside aisles with canned goods and boxed foods these days and shopping in the produce section. Farming practices could seriously close the gap between sustainable and accessible foods and shift the divide between the food accessible for high class and the food that is accessible to low class. For now, shopping at Farmers markets is the best bet to getting nutrient dense produce. If you can, buy organic and I even heard that When buying organic, you’ll be exposed to less pesticides and when shopping a good general guideline to go by to keep costs down is to buy the organic fruits and vegetables in which you will eat the peeling like peaches, apples, plums, strawberries, bell peppers, and then it is okay to buy non-organic fruits and veggies in which we do not eat the peeling such as bananas, pineapples, oranges, avocados, etc.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up I did not get the best food, which from my experience was a combination of lack of resources, lack of education, and a lack of overall healthy eating habits by my parents. Now, I am fortunate to make healthy choices for myself and I am becoming more educated on the topic.
Before reading this blog I had no idea about the more detailed aspects of agricultural life. In all honesty I had no idea there were so many steps to make sure that a fruit or vegetable has it's nutrient levels maximized. Going to the supermarket was just a task in order to grab "healthy" food, but little did I know that there were probably multiple times where the things I chose were probably bad when it came to all the options that were presented to me. But now that I am aware of these things i'll definitely keep in mind of the things that have been shared within this blog.
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ReplyDeleteUsing pesticides made production faster but it caused damage to our health and this post does a good job on informing about how much nutrients the food is lacking when its unsustainably grown. I feel like it is important for people to know how to grow sustainable food and know about the option of having sustainable foods.
ReplyDeleteOne day I went to eat and apple and as I cut the apple I saw a white substance shave off the skin of the apple so I started to scape the skin of the apple and a lot of white residue came off and until this day Ive notice that curtain grocery stores will have that residue on their fruits. Because of this, Ive always washed my fruits with lemon juice before eating them. After reading this post and learning more about stainable foods, unsustainable foods, and pesticides, Im starting to think the residue was from the pesticides since a lot of stores carry unsustainable foods.
If more individuals become aware of their options of having sustainable foods along with having access to those foods, then people would be much healthier because they would be getting more nutrients.
-Jheanine Carlyle
I recently volunteered at the garden on my schools campus. After harvesting a few crops from the garden, cleaning them off, pulling weeds, and tending to the maintance of the garden boxes, I learned a lot about how important the soil is for the boxes. I recently learned that these garden boxes were built on top of old beach volleyball courts, so a lot of the left over sand from those courts is now getting left in our soil. Because of this, no matter how much rain we get, or how often we water the boxes, the soil is always a bit dry because of the rain. This makes it hard for plants to grow to their full potential and retain all the water they need to grow. In order to save these plants and boxes, were switching out the soil to a nice, nutrient dense one, that will allow the plants to absorb more water.
ReplyDeleteI have replied to this is my email savannaroper50@gmail.com, and my name Savanna Roper and unfortunately neither are coming up.
DeleteI recently volunteered at the garden on my schools campus. After harvesting a few crops from the garden, cleaning them off, pulling weeds, and tending to the maintance of the garden boxes, I learned a lot about how important the soil is for the boxes. I recently learned that these garden boxes were built on top of old beach volleyball courts, so a lot of the left over sand from those courts is now getting left in our soil. Because of this, no matter how much rain we get, or how often we water the boxes, the soil is always a bit dry because of the rain. This makes it hard for plants to grow to their full potential and retain all the water they need to grow. In order to save these plants and boxes, were switching out the soil to a nice, nutrient dense one, that will allow the plants to absorb more water.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this article I never knew, or even thought about, that food is picked off the vine before it’s completely ripened nor how long it takes for food to reach grocery stores for us to purchase. We’re losing tons of nutrients from the produce being picked off the vine before fully ripened, and the food taking 5-14 days to reach us. By the time we receive the food, we’ll have to consume even more to receive the same amount of nutrients if it was fully ripe and recently picked off the vine. There are some ways to combat this issue but they aren’t accessible to all. One way is to purchase food from a local farmers’ market because the produce will have been freshly picked. You can also talk with the farmers to learn if they allow the produce to fully ripen and how soon before a market they pick it. However farmers’ markets aren’t common everywhere and they can be more expensive than a grocery store. Another option for receiving nutrient-dense produce is beginning your own garden. What better way to know exactly how your food is being produced and when it’s picked? Of course this option is limited to those with the time, space, money, and knowledge to have their own garden. I myself look forward to when I move from an apartment into a house so that I can begin my own garden in my backyard. I’ll have more control over the produce I’m consuming by knowing every detail about how it’s being produced, consume more nutrient-dense food, become more sustainable, and in the end save money because I won’t need to purchase as many groceries.
ReplyDeleteI have been volunteering at an urban farm located in Long Beach, and this article is what the head farmer talks about a lot. The lead farmer preaches how important it is to have crop rotation through the year rather than monocropping and completely depleting the soil and certain nutrients. Once the soil is depleted the crops are not getting the nutrients they need to grow strong making them not as nutritious for the people that are eating them. These last few weeks we have been switching from summer to winter crops so we harvested tomatoes and peas and are starting to plant radishes and broccoli. Completely changing the dynamic of the farm and not depleting the nutrients in the soil.
ReplyDelete- Brandon Colson
I would have never guessed that it can take up to 2 weeks for produce to reach the grocery store after being picked, and yet markets pride themselves in how fresh their produce is. I truly had no idea "fresh" produce could last so long on a shelf. It is also amazing how we have access to the same fruits and vegetables at our grocery store all year round even when they are not it season. As mentioned, mass producing the same fruit / vegetable on the same plot of soil will deteriorate the same nutrients over and over again without giving the soil time to restore those nutrients. I previously thought using dead soil would yield no crops. It is amazing to hear that dead soil CAN yield crops, however they will provide you with roughly the same amount of nutrients as no crops at all. 1 peach from the grocery store today will contain the nutrients of roughly 53 peaches grown sustainably without all the chemical fertilizers and pesticides. I hope more people become aware of how unnatural at damaging our current farming practices are and increase their demand for sustainably grown produce.
ReplyDeleteWow seems as if I am always learning something new when I come into contact with Ms. Libby's content. Since I have been volunteering with different food organizations, I have started to realize the importance of growing such food items with the correct soil. One thing I did not know before was vegetables and fruits take 5-14 days to reach a consumer so I can only imagine what quality there are in when consumers actually purchase them. This makes me what do think twice when I see or hear people say "fresh" produce. Also I would like to know will there ever be a solution to the problem of "Sprayed with chemical pesticides". I know this can't be healthy for us to continue consuming produce like this. I think its great that Ms. Libby provides all of this information, this will help consumers become more knowledgable if the foods they are producing and lead to a more sustainable diet!
ReplyDeleteIndustrial agriculture has become a great topic of interest for me because I realized that the lack of knowledge about where our food comes from and how it’s grown is incredibly damaging to our health and the world we live in. I was not aware that a fruit or vegetable separated from the vine or stem before it is ripe will begin to decline before reaching its full nutrient profile. However, I acknowledge that rich and healthy soil is crucial in growing any type of crop or plant, as soil is a major source of nutrients needed by plants for growth. Unfortunately, food grown in the conventional system is often grown in dead soil. Chemicals are injected directly to the plant/crop which is detrimental to our health and diet. Additionally, I appreciate the facts regarding pesticides in this blog. Pesticides are unnatural, and they are harmful to our health and to the environment. It is extremely important to know how our food is grown, harvested, and distributed as it is critically affects our health. I found this blog to be incredibly informative and interesting because it is important to me to know how to get the maximum amount of nutrients from the food I eat. I also started to notice how different organic food tastes after learning more about industrial agriculture.
ReplyDeletePreviously, my knowledge of gardening or food farming was very limited to my front lawn and small flowers and grass that grow there. I have never grown fruits or vegetables before and had little to no clue of the impact our current fast-paced farming industry had on the quality of the food that we consumed. It seems that it is all less nutritious than is intended – from being picked before fully ripe to being dosed in pesticides and other artificial chemicals – the food we are given is not all that it could be. Our control over the way food is grown is no natural. This is such a shock to me and will the thought of this will help further govern my diet in the future.
ReplyDelete-Tess Morales
I love mashed potatoes!
ReplyDeletehehehheheh food
ReplyDeleteThis blog explains that in professional and industry jargon. My knowledge of pesticides before taking classes in this major was limited to the basic understanding that they are harmful chemicals used to speed up and multiply the amount of fruits and vegetables we can harvest at a time. I wasn’t aware of just how much harm we were causing the fruits and plants we consume and also how much harm they were causing us. Much like livestock, the industry has sacrificed sustainability, nutrients, and ethics in order to focus on profit. For instance, instead of shopping at a big brand supermarket for our food, we can go to the many farmer’s markets hear in Southern California and help support our local, sustainable farms. The most effective way we can help lift the industry and steer it towards a healthier outlook with our shopping habits is buying products that are grown organically and sustainable.
ReplyDeleteMartin Hamm
ReplyDelete“How food is grown, harvested, and distributed plays a critical role in the nutrients delivered to the consumer. “
3-16-2020
Taking this course has opened my eyes to the malpractice performed in the agriculture industry. I was well aware of the pesticides and the fake microbials pumped into our food, although I was unaware as to what extent the companies go through in order to make a profit. Our food has been poisoned for so long that a majority of us do not think about the consequences and the repercussions because that is solely what we were taught...along with our parents and their parents. So can you blame us? Thankfully it seems that every new generation is a little more informed about the way we treat our bodies and the environment. It is a shame about the direction that we chose and the position that we are in now. Eradicating our soil in the hopes of quick growth of a product to churn a quick dollar. It is important to teach others about healthy living and beneficial eating because in turn that in which we ingest will power us mentally as well. The mental processes require that our “2nd gut” is fed the correct nutrients in order to function at the most optimum level. For this it is important to acquire the most nutrient dense food. Quality of the product must be as much of an investment as the amount of product produced.
I though this was very interesting because I can remember in school learning about pesticides to put on your plants. I never knew that all of this effects the nutrients in the food. I always thought that food was brought to the grocery story within a couple of days, I had no clue that food could take up to 2 weeks to reach a store. I am glad that this new generation is learning about where our food really comes from and how it is really grown, I think this really opens up our eyes to the small changes that we can make in our food system to eat healthier options. Reading this makes me want to start a garden to grow some of the foods I eat, myself.
ReplyDeletePrior to reading this blog post, I had minor knowledge of the effects of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Foods that are produced with chemical pesticides are valued based on quantity instead of quality. Industrial agriculture leads to the mass production of food, but the food produced lost nutrients making it unsustainable. For my research project, I am investigating the effects of growth promoting antibodies on the human body. Growth promoting antibodies affect different bodies in different ways, but the main reason people get sick is determined by the quality of food they consume. When I travel to Mexico, I visit my family's farm and I am taught the value of food. When an animal dies it is buried on the land in order to fertilize the soil. Once the harvest ends, the land is turned in order to prepare it for the next season. Part of the harvest is separated to feed the animals.This begin said, on small farms the circle of life determines how much food is produced. The specialization of labor is also shown because one family will produce one item and share with the surrounding families. After reading this article I realized how much the industrial system impacts the quality of food we consume. As a society we are taught to value how an item looks, instead of valuing how it tastes and how much nutrients it contains.
ReplyDeleteThere were many important and noteworthy points made in the blog post. One point would be that today’s industrial agricultural is great for efficiency and keeping foods on the shelf longer, but the practices being implemented turn out to be harmful to both the consumer and the environment.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned, the nutrients that are found in topsoil are being destroyed by commercial farming and harmful GMOs and pesticides that don’t give nutrients back into the soil. This causes damage to nature’s natural ability to grow crops and produces less nutrient dense crops. As if this weren’t enough, these crops are also picked early, so they don’t have time to grab more nutrients from the soil, or develop to their natural state before they are picked and processed. I think that this topic must be talked about more in mainstream media and discussed more in classrooms to influence others to reconsider the impact of industrial systems.
-Mikhaela Griffin
Actually the Industrial food system is not so efficient. It requires more inputs than outputs gained and it is destroying the system needed to repeat the process, which is leading to a decline in quantity produced. How can shopping habits impact the system?
ReplyDeletePrior to reading this blog I had limited knowledge of the fast-paced farming industry, however this post appropriately informs the current state that the farming agriculture is in. For example, I was unaware that it takes fruits and vegetables 5-14 days to actually reach a consumer, which ironically counteracts the meaning behind “fresh” produce. With Ms. Libby’s content, it has influenced my produce decision making in order to be able to obtain a more sustainable lifestyle. I also found it interesting when the article discussed the issue of spraying produce with chemical pesticides, as I don’t think this is healthy for people to consume. Luckily, because of this blog I am far more knowledgeable than before, influencing my current diet and my perspective on food into a much healthier outlook when choosing my produce.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBefore coming across this post, I personally have a bit of knowledge towards the subject of crop harvesting. I am currently taking a class on food sustainability, and the class dives deep into this topic of how crops should be harvested and treated. From articles and notes I've read in class, the reason why crops are treated the way the are is due to the greed of those producing them. These people only want to produce as much as they can in order to make profit even if it means the quality of their product is "okay" rather than "excellent". Of course what I mean by this is, as libby pointed out in her post, if these crops were grown in better soil their nutrient contents will be much more rich and enhanced. Although the only question I have would be how long until the people producing and harvesting these crops will change their ways of doing things. I can only hope this current agriculture system can change to a more sustainable one in which crops can be harvested in the proper manner. - Josue Ortega
It was not until recent times that I really thought deeply about the food produced through the industrial agriculture system. I knew that a lot of the food produced was created with the input of pesticides, but I never really thought about those chemicals sticking around. For some reason, when I was little, I often assumed that the food produced in our food system would have to be 100 % healthy. As I have grown up, I see that not all food produced through our agricultural system is the same in terms of their health benefits. This would explain the price difference between naturally grown vs. pesticide grown food. I now wonder what the future of our agricultural system will look like in a hundred years. I remember in the movie Spy Kids, they put a bag in a microwave and a hamburger came out a few seconds later. Will the food that we eat from agriculture production reach a point that it can be instantly created? With the power of technology and other advancements over the years, it would be amazing to see what happens in the next 100 years. I would hope that nutrient dense food will become cheaper and easily available to people. With the health crisis going on, its easy to see why we need valuable nutrients that are mainly acquired through food from agriculture and the extent that many health issues could be managed easier if the food we ate was better for us by not containing as many toxins / chemicals. - Wyatt Law
ReplyDeleteI used to buy my food without considering difference in nutrition profiles between food products. I also use to think “organic” just meant fruits and vegetables were pre washed. It wasn’t until I really started taking an interest in exactly knowing what goes into my system that I found out, how dangerous it can be to eat healthy food that are not grown properly. One reason we eat fruits and vegetables is because we want to be healthy (and it’s delicious), but we are missing out many benefits if we don’t investigate on foods we choose. All foods should be grown with the proper soil in order to maximize the nutrients our body needs to live a long healthy live. organic may increase the prices but it is worth it because you know you’re actually getting good quality food. Now that I think about it, it is very weird that all fruits look exactly the same. I never considered the fact that farmers only pick the ones that look identical to each other. I wonder if there can be a solution to letting the fruits and vegetables ripe longer in order to get more nutrient, and still be able to get it for sale in time. I believe that the best scenario would be to build more sustainable smaller farms around the country, in order to become available quick in demand. The best way to improve the well being of the population is to change and grow our food in a sustainable food system.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest takeaway with consuming produce unaffected by harsh chemicals is the difference in taste. I remember my first encounter of organic produce was my past visit to a garden vineyard in Sonoma, California. The owner grew strawberries and apricots which were ripe in the summer. The apricot was sweet and incredibly juicy. I couldn't believe the difference it made when it came to the soil. There were clearly no chemicals as the apricots on the tree had signs of birds eating them, but regardless I would rather eat fruits that tasted effortlessly delectable. I recently came across an article that discussed the harsh environment chemical impacted soil gave to farmers. These farmers were getting sick and refusing to confront the issue because they were afraid to lose their jobs. That pokes issues with unethical farming. Is it worth it to mass produce food that could potentially go to waste regardless or should one be more attentive to how we grow our food?
ReplyDeleteI am aware that our farming system has been heavily relying on a pesticides and chemicals to make our food more appealing, grow faster, and larger. Nonetheless, I am in awe to learn how much nutrients our food is losing. It makes it feel like our food is just synesthetic, which a lot of it tastes good but doesn’t provide the added benefits that our bodies rely on. I am a strong believer that we must change back to our old ways and proceed and establish sustainable farming methods. Sustainable farming methods are the best way to give back to our environment, animals, and health. In addition, our shopping habits can support nutrition sensitive and sustainable agriculture by advocating for local, fresh, and organic produce. Supporting and voicing our opinions is definitely the first step.
ReplyDeleteAs I began to really understand and gain more knowledge on the items of food that I was consuming and how they are produced, I started changing where I bought my food from. The industrial agriculture industry utilizes chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the soil which has a huge impact on the food and how it is grown. Implementing those chemicals has an influence on the number of nutrients that the food is losing and the benefits as well. Growing up, I had no idea that was how the food I was consuming was being harvested and grown. I always assumed that when my parents or I would buy produce it was always good and healthy, however, after educating myself and continuing to do so I buy from local farmer’s markets and organic. Even though organic food tends to be a little more expensive than not, I think that it is worth it to spend a little more money on food that is beneficial for myself and the way it was produced. I think that it is vital that the industry adjusts to sustainable farming because of the large number of benefits that it has on the environment, animals, and humans.
ReplyDeleteAs a student dietitian about to graduate, I find myself thinking about nutrient quality in many of the things I eat. Even though I have made many decisions that impact the quality of my meals, I know there are still so many things I have yet to consider. Many people don’t know that in most grocery stores, there is almost always an employee like a manager that can answer questions like “where does this produce come from”, especially with health and nutrition gaining as much popularity and focus as it has in recent years. The more that we utilize sustainable food systems, the greater opportunity for us to find locally sourced, quality, nutrient dense foods; and the greater opportunity for investors to see the potential in sustainable food systems. I am a huge fan of urban farming which teaches people to use the areas they have available in major cities to have home grown foods. If this continues, it is hopeful that these concepts will be utilized in fresh food deprived areas called food deserts, increasing the access and availability to all areas! Also speaking from a different perspective as person that worked and studied as a chef for ten years, the flavor difference of fresh locally sourced and produce that is picked and shipped before it has reached its peak is beyond comparison. So not only will sustainable locally sourced foods amp up your health, it will tantalize your taste buds!
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to discover from reading this blog post that I am eating all these "healthy" vegetables that lack the nutrients I need to begin with. I was always slightly aware about pesticides and GMOs being bad for us but I never learned before why it was not beneficial for us to consume. After reading your blog post, my eyes are open and now I want to be more conscious about if the "nutritious" food I am eating even has the nutrients it should have. It seems that I am wasting my calories on produce the contain GMOs. I never ever thought about how the lack of nutrients can also cause a lack in flavor and texture. It honestly makes so much sense and the fact that if I have food that was grown in the correct soil that it would taste better already intrigues me to change my current diet habits.
ReplyDeleteFirst, this makes me wonder why farmers would harvest food before it’s ripe? What is the advantage? Soil that is infected with pesticides is toxic to our food and the environment. Farmers are aware of this, but consumers need to be more educated. Consumers have a right to know that when they purchase food that is not organic, they are not receiving the maximum amount of nutrients in their food. Everyone deserves to have access to sustainable foods for a nutrient rich diet!
ReplyDeleteErin Evans
It is very interesting to understand the difference between organic grown produce and industrial agriculture foods. I have always known that "organic" foods carry more nutrients than "regular" foods when shopping at grocery stores, but I never understood how or why that is. Growing plants in large quantities over and over in depleted soil reduces the nutrients carried into the produce once harvested. In planting my own produce as part of the service learning, I learned that preparing the soil is a very important factor in farming hand having nutrient produce. Foods that are "organic" are usually more expensive at grocery stores because they are better taken care of in a way when it comes to soil, pesticides effects, and longer time to harvest, therefore they are richer in nutrients than industrial grade grown foods.
ReplyDeleteI always like to consider how pesticides not only affect the nutritional value of produce but also how pesticide runoff pollutes our water supply. There is so little drinking water; polluting runoff into water sources is probably the most detrimental aspect of pesticides to future agriculture. It seems the dual problems from pesticides aren't worth the extra supply of fruits and vegetables, especially if we need to eat more of them to get the same amount of nutrition. It also bothers me pesticides are sprayed every year after the pests mutate and become stronger. There is no winning until we consider that nature can be self-resolving. It will resolve itself unfavorably to humans if we continue to push it out in high quantities.
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating to learn that plants grown in fertile soil contain more nutrients than plants grown in infertile soil. To me, I began to get a better understanding and awareness of the foods I was eating and how they were grown.I am certain that we should restore to our traditional models and develop long-term agricultural systems. The more we adopt sustainable food systems, the more likely we are to obtain locally produced, high-quality, nutrient-dense foods; and the more likely investors are to perceive the value in sustainable food systems.
ReplyDeleteThe research you have presented highlights a lot of the problems associated with modern agriculture as well as how it might effect the public's nutrition. Sourcing one's produce from a local organic farmer might be ideal, however one of the major contributing factors to the food crisis in America is not one of production but more one of distribution. As someone who lives in LA it wouldn't be too difficult for me to shop local and organic, but there are a lot areas who don't have that same access. As an expert in your field, what are some potential solutions for those low-income communities who have to source their produce from imports rather than having the capacity to grow food within their own communities? And what are some steps that can be taken to shift power away from the industrial agricultural giants and into methods that would provide local, organic and sustainably grown food to those who don’t have the same access that I do?
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to see this side of agriculture when it comes to the loss of nutrients and how they lose their nutrients. When I have read about how food is grown and harvested I usually focus on how the harmful pesticides, used in creating these crops, have led to harmful chemicals entering the consumers body and lease to diseases like dementia. After reading this I am also more inclined to take a step back and look at what I am eating and make sure that I am consuming enough nutrients to be healthy. One question I do have is how can we move away from this industrial way of harvesting food in order to create products that are more nutrient based.
ReplyDeleteHi libby! Thank your for sharing your knowledge with us once again. I find this post super helpful as I am growing vegetables for my service learning. This helps me understand why consuming organic foods is a necessity. Before this blog, I did not know that my fruits and vegetables are usually being harvested before it's ripped. This makes me wonder if there are even any nutrients in the food that I consume. This post has definitely inspired me to grow my own vegetable garden and not just for the service learning but also for myself and the environment.
ReplyDeleteI knew that buying organic food was better for your health, but I did not understand why. This blog clears up a lot of my unanswered questions. I thought it was really interesting that infertile soil was the cause of a lot of harm to fruits and vegetables. I couldn’t believe that the nutrients in the fruits and vegetables that were grown on fertile soil significantly improved the nutrients of these fruits and vegetables. I know that industrial farms are more about agribusiness rather than agriculture and its unfortunate because of the negative results that come with improving production. I am excited to read some of your sources to learn more about the topic and hopefully implement it in my studies at school!
ReplyDeleteI think to begin starting more sustainable practices, we have to start buying more locally sourced, organic fruits and vegetables. I would like to get to know more about how farmers markets start up and how partnerships with local organic growers start. I think that once we know exactly where food is coming from, we can begin to build healthier diets. Once we do this for ourselves we can involve and inform others, and this new pesticide and chemical free grown food trend can start. In my opinion, word-of-mouth goes a long way especially with social media around this can take off very easily.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read all the information presented in this blog. After reading this blog I understood the importance farming the land in a sustainable way is important because fruits and vegetables maintain more of the nutrients need for us human. I feel that the agriculture industry just focusses on the profits and do not care for the soil, or how soon the harvest fruits and vegetables, as long as they make money. Learning that pesticides and fertilizers are used for farming that they are dangerous for human health is concerning. I recently decided to work in a garden project in my house helping my mom. I’ve learned that cultivating and harvesting the products is a hard work, as well as rewarding. Knowing how to cultivate fruits and vegetables is much sustainable that just buying all this produce from the store. I learned that my mom uses as fertilizer all the eggshells, banana peels, and coffee grains. I noticed that bananas from our tree lasted longer than the ones from the store, as well as the flavor in the tomatoes from my mom’s garden have better favor than the ones at the store. Is important to learn about the produced we consume to obtain the most of those products. Developing a small garden with the essential products for our homes can be the first step to start consuming more nutrients for our bodies.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I would think that any fruit and vegetable was healthy no matter what. Then getting more into nutrition you begin to learn about the chemicals that factories use and then you start to question whether it is healthy like they say. After gaining more knowledge about the agriculture, it amazes me that there's systems that use chemicals and and resources that take away the rich nutrients of fruits and vegetables. Farmers know about the soils they use and the effect on the produce, but the consumers don't. It has been a few years now that I purchase and encourage my family to purchase organic. It is pricey, but it worth it when you know the benefits it comes with organic produce. My question is why do farmers or agricultural companies use resources that don't quite benefit consumers?
ReplyDeleteMany of the reason many farmers and the agriculture industry do not use resources that don't benefit the consumers is that they have a huge demand to meet. The only way to fulfill such needs is to find a quick method to produce the supply but not in an efficient manner in terms of nutritional value and environmentally friendly. The methods developed are cheap and markets are stocked quickly with produce. Such as fertilizers which are used the grow crops quickly but decays the soil that is grown in which will no longer be in good use for the future. This became the new normal for the agriculture company as they are more focused in profits rather the health of the consumer or the environment.
Delete- Gabino Leon (Reply)
As every gardener ends up making their own mixture of soil, I think it is important to cover the basics of fertile soil and infertile soil. Based on previous research, infertile soil can be created through nutrient mining, incorrect soil pH, and erosion. The best way to make the soil more fertile is by replenishing the land with organic material, such as homemade compost or bags of all organic soil builders found in your local nursery. I personally buy “Bumper Crop” which is apparently one of the best-selling Master Nursery soil products.
ReplyDeleteI read an unknown commenter’s questioning of creating a culture of buying produce from farmers directly instead of grocery stores. I have bought many vegetables from farmers markets, but it is yet to be a normal occurrence for me simply because of the lack of vegetables that I see that I like to eat and know how to cook them. I am currently experimenting with those vegetables by growing them in my home garden so hopefully there will be positive results.
- Tristen Cruz
I feel like being a basic gardener you are able to classify yourself as an organic gardener because you are not be able to access dangerous chemicals for your produce so they grow naturally. Since they are growing naturally the consistency of the produce will vary on the flavor it is able to produce on its own. Overall I feel like it is good to buy produce from any store just so anyone can taste the different flavors of fresh and non fresh produce.
ReplyDeleteAs a new volunteer for a local farm, I began to realize the importance of reshaping the industrial farming for the benefits of the environment, nutrients intake and the health of consumers. The methods of todays agriculture process strips away the idea of I am eating a healthy diet when consuming fruits and vegetables but in reality these produce are covered with pesticides and fertilizers. The blog informs me that many of these produce really have little to no nutritional values and worse of all it damages my health. When I volunteered at the local farm, I seen what it really took to harvest and produce the right way. No short cuts or chemical usage. Although time consuming, the produce are hand picked and washed thoroughly and delivered the low income communities which have no access to fresh organic produce. From this blog and volunteering, I witness how both methods are so opposite from each other. The agriculture is more focused on producing quick as possible with a profit in mind while local farms are more focused on maintaining a sustainable process which benefits the consumers and the environment. I hope many people will soon read and learn more about how their food is being produced and the harm it does, hopefully encouraging people to take manner in their own hands and have a garden of their own. Most importantly to see if many can differentiate the taste between fresh and non organic produce.
ReplyDelete- Gabino Leon
I find it so incredibly interesting that the food I buy is not giving my body all the nutrients it once had. Most of the produce I buy is non organic and it typically full of chemicals and pesticides. I believe that organic produce should not be more expensive than non organic because it should not cost more to be healthy. Most industrial agriculture farms just want to get their products out and into stores as quickly as they can to make a profit. These farms do the bare minimum for their consumers. On the other hand, local and smaller farms grow, harvest, and distribute their product sustainably and have the most nutrient-rich produce to offer to the consumers. I think that certain farming practices need to be readdressed and to think about how it is affecting not only the environment, but the health of the consumers. Going back to organic food versus non organic food, I want to buy more organic produce, but it can be pricey. This reminds me of how our country is so driven to fast food because it is cheap. I am so drawn to the non organic food because it is cheaper than organic food, but that is not how it should be. Consumers should have an equal choice to decide between organic and non organic produce and should not have to pick based on price.
ReplyDeleteIts very mind blowing how industrial farming was invented with the intention to make food accessible to all, but in the process of mass production it has created less nutritionally dense produce. In solving one problem, they have created another.
ReplyDeleteWhen shopping for produce, it's become so accessible that it's much easier to turn a blind eye as to where the produce is coming from. I never really grasped the concept that how food is grown, harvested, and distributed can effect the nutritional value of the food. In my mind when I am shopping is that, I am receiving all the proper nutrients when purchasing these products from my local Costco. In order to support nutrition sensitive agriculture, I would need to shift my shopping habits to support our local farmers and shop at a farmers market. That way it would ensure I would receive the nutrients that my body needs as well as support sustainably harvested foods.
Jade Lagade
This article is incredibly informative because it reinforces the nutrition loss on produce harvest before ripe and the exposure to chemical pesticides or fertilizers by consuming produce from industrial farming. Therefore, we need to change our shopping habits to support sustainable agriculture and a healthy diet by purchasing food from local farmers' markets. Furthermore, this action would help solve other problems such as carbon footprint on the environment, chemical exposure, and many health problems.
ReplyDelete- Andrea Santos-Lowry HM 370
The days between the harvest date to the customers sometimes can even be longer than 14 days, distributor just have to store them in the right temperature and condition. This fact blew my mind. Dr.Gustin mentioned that "A fruit or vegetable separated from the vine or stem (the plant) before it is ripe will begin to decline before reaching its full nutrient profile." makes me want to shop at my local farmer's market from now on. The produce look so fresh on the shelves, but now I know they are older than I think. This also related to the four pillars of food security that I learned from Professor Gross's lecture. Society should have sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. The gap between available and accessible food should be narrowed down. Hm370 Alison Chen
ReplyDeleteThe blog response I decided to focus on was on How food is grown, harvested, and distributed plays a critical role in the nutrients delivered to the consumer. It was interesting to know that the nutrients of food is connected with how long the fruit is attached to the vine and ground. It makes sense when you think about it, if the fruit is taken off the vine, then it will no longer receive nutrients from the vine of the plant. Its also interesting that the industrial agriculture takes food 5-14 of the vine before the fruit manages to ripe. In this case, the food that is being transported to us is under-ripe with not as many nutrients as it could be having. Or worse the pesticides and fertilizers filled with chemicals are the ones ripening the food after they have been harvested. Meaning that we aren’t getting natural nutrients but chemical ones. We should be more careful and be more aware of the food that we are putting into our body.
ReplyDeleteThe first assertion made by this post underscores just how inept the United States’ big agriculture system is at meeting the requirements of the Pillars of Food Security and the Triple Bottom Line. Going on to further describe how specific products will fall short of their nutrient profile due to the practices of Big Agriculture, I found myself questioning how we could get fully ripened, nutrient dense produce to the general public. This was question was quickly answered with a shift towards more nutrient dense products and away from “cash crops.” The example provided by this blog post that really highlighted the inherent lack of nutrition to me was the fact that most industrial farmers pick produce before it is ripe and then the produce travels another 5-14 days before it even reaches the consumer. This clearly illustrates how Big Agriculture companies care very little about people and more about profits, displaying a massive imbalance in their triple bottom line.
ReplyDelete-Brian Mayberry HM 370
I find that the research is comprehensive about the relationship of agricultural practice to the nutrients delivered in the products. I have always believed that fruits that are picked and packaged when it's almost ripe so it would be perfectly ripe when it get to customers. In a class that I am taking at university, we discuss about the influences of environment, social, and economy aspects to the food cycle and agriculture. I have learnt that "food sector plays an important role in determining sustainability outcomes. This includes our collective resource demands, environmental pressures related to biodiversity; waste emissions to air, soil and, water; and both socio-economic benefits and costs." In order to shape the sustainability, it is important to understand the natural process of plants and fruits ,and affect of the chemical fertilizer and pesticide to agricultural practice. According to the blog, fruit that are early harvested will not reach its full nutrient profile. Furthermore, it will also start losing its quality. By recognizing this issue, farmer can create plan and schedule for sustainably growing cycle for each kind of fruits that preventing usage of chemical supplement and assure its maximum nutrient value.
ReplyDeleteEdited:
DeleteI find that the research is comprehensive about the relationship of agricultural practice to the nutrients delivered in the products. I have always believed that fruits that are picked and packaged when it's almost ripe so it would be perfectly ripe when it get to customers. In a class that I am taking at university, we discuss about the influences of environment, social, and economy aspects to the food cycle and agriculture. I have learnt that "food sector plays an important role in determining sustainability outcomes. This includes our collective resource demands, environmental pressures related to biodiversity; waste emissions to air, soil and, water; and both socio-economic benefits and costs." In order to shape sustainability, it is important to understand the natural process of plants and fruits ,and the effect of the chemical fertilizer and pesticide on agricultural practices. According to the blog, fruit that is harvested early will not reach its full nutrient profile. Furthermore, it will also start losing its quality. By recognizing this issue, farmers can create a plan and schedule for a sustainably growing cycle for each kind of fruit that prevents usage of chemical supplement and assure its maximum nutrient value.
Hasie Pham
ReplyDeleteI have heard of growing plants with chemical fertilizers and the disadvantages it has, but I did not know it has come this far to be this bad. We human are trying to manufacture everything under our control and to have it all year around, which is against nature. We are not only messing with nature and the variety of plants, but we are also harming ourselves. I am doing a research paper about how our diet can impact sustainability. I found out that because we eat less nutrient-dense food, we eat more and require more meals a day.
An example of knowing how bad chemical fertilizer can be is from one of the stories I heard myself. A vegetable seller at the market was one of my relatives. When my family went to visit her house, we wanted to take some salad back home, but she stopped us and said “This is for selling, so we used chemical fertilizer, let me get some for you in the organic garden over there which is for family eating.” I do not know where conscience was when they said that themselves. I can never do this because I always thought, “What if I have children, they go eat out and they were sold those kind of food?” We need to think more for our health and the future of the earth and the food industry’s sustainability.
Regarding the distribution of food, I have heard that freezing produce at peak freshness and when in season is a great way to reduce food waste. Some nutrients may be lost during the freezing process, but it will overall retain more nutrients than transporting them as is to markets. This gives the possibility of mostly growing produce in season and letting the soil rest and naturally regaining nutrients. It also goes back to what you have mentioned about farmers picking produce to early and losing out on nutrients. Since freezing said produce will reduce the amount of potential spoilage that farmers must consider. Although not all produce fares well with being frozen, the ones that can benefit from this can help cut on food waste and emissions. The biggest roadblock I can foresee is the fresh versus frozen debate. A lot of people try to get everything they can fresh and turn their noses at frozen produce thinking it’s not as great. Hopefully something changes and someone can find a way to address the spoilage problem and expedited farming practices.
ReplyDeleteApril Hernandez
ReplyDeleteFood nowadays is grown for quantity rather than quality. The food industry is mostly focused on getting as much profit as possible as quickly as possible. We have not been thinking long term and that is why we are stuck in this unsustainable food cycle. GMO's and other chemicals are added to almost all of our foods to make them last longer and look nicer. I never knew that the nutrients get depleted the longer it goes without being eaten. There should be more of a focus on growing, quality organic food rather than just a huge amount of food because it will be healthier for us in the long run. Organic food also has to be made more accessible because some people do not even have the option to buy organic food because it tends to be more expensive.
I enjoyed the insight I gained from the blog post titled “How food is grown, harvested, and distributed plays a critical role in the nutrients delivered to the consumer”. As a consumer of products produced by industrial agriculture, I am naive to the many ways this system is taking advantage of the environment through chemicals. I am not surprised to learn about the disparity of nutrient density between products grown in fertile soil compared to products grown in chemical dense soil. Although I was unaware that produce was harvest so prematurely it makes sense in mass production because of all the steps it has to go through including transportation, distribution, and selling before it reaches the desired consumer. I think it is very interesting that even though I could be eating a produce rich diet I could still be depriving my body of its full nutrient profile. This post has made me think about what I consume, and where my produce is essentially coming from. As a consumer what are some recommendations to receive more ethically sourced naturally grown produce if I do not have the means to grow these items myself?
ReplyDelete- Ashley Russell
Melissa Angel Gutierrez
ReplyDeleteMelissa Angel Gutierrez
ReplyDeleteCurrently, people is concerned about their health and what they consume, people try to make sure that the food that they consume is not only healthy and sustainable.Libby, explains the reasons why is important to for agriculture to be maintain sustainable and the benefits of doing so. She explains that food that come from a fertile environment, contains higher content of nutrients and less toxins. It's impressive to see the actual effects of toxins, and pesticides on food. Learning about this effects and thinking on the choices that I make for consumption makes me consider to change. My main reason for not making a complete change is because of economical issues. As, I worked in my community hours, I worked in sorted with fresh produce or the freshest possible and most fruit is ripe. it's sad to see how much food is wasted, and I wonder if they would use sustainable they produce would last longer in both in the community center and the families helped. Specially knowing that it could give them higher nutrients, and to help the have a complete diet. Which is shocking to know that the produce that I am consuming is not actually helping towards achieving a full balanced diet.
Tan Duy Nguyen
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I can understand the importance of fruit and vegetables grown in fertile soil that have more nutrients in the edible parts of the plant than those grown in infertile soil. People are losing tons of nutrients from the produce fruit and vegetables using pesticide fertilization. In my opinion, sustainable farmers should not use chemical pesticides, fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. Without the use of hazardous chemical pesticides, sustainable farms are much safer and healthier for their farmers, workers and surrounding communities, and the food they produce is free of chemical residues. One way is to purchase fresh fruit from a local farmers’ market because the produce will have been freshly picked. I can also talk with the farmers to learn if they allow the produce to fully ripen and how soon before a market, they pick it. However, farmers’ markets are not common everywhere and they can be more expensive than a grocery store. Another option for receiving nutrient-dense produce is to buy organic foods from organic grocery market, these markets will guarantee to sell foods without chemical ferritization.
Blog Response 1:
ReplyDeleteAshley Tempel
Prior to reading this blog, I had some background information on this topic, but I love the way this blog emphasizes the comparison between industrial farming and nutrient-sensitive agriculture. This movement towards more sustainable and intentional systems is needed now more than ever. Not only does the science and conditions of our ecosystem reflect the environmental impact of industrial farming but is reflecting the changes to our health beginning with the nutrients or chemicals we are ingesting. The bioavailability of nutrients is sensitive and highly individualized but making sure to prepare the most nutrient-dense crops with care makes sense to allow consumers access to nourishing foods that prevent chronic diseases and utilize food as medicine to help reduce the increasing rise in health disparities and diseases. I can only imagine with the nutrients being higher in prepared soils versus depleted soils harvesting the fruit or vegetable earlier than it should depletes the nutrients to a similar state of a nutrient profile of depleted soil or is the difference still significant? Would this be a similar comparison with local and organic for enriched soil versus buying non-organic and non-local? I have little experience creating my own worm composting, mycelium chambers, and a bit of gardening, and I've been able to witness the care these efforts require, but the payoff is unquantifiable. I am looking forward to diving further into this topic on my own with some upcoming service hours for a community garden box on my campus and thank you for the essential information!
Jaime Cruz
ReplyDeleteBefoe reading this blog I had some knowledge of what pesticides can do to the body, but not so much of how it diminishes the quality of the product. I am able to better understand the importance of the fertilizer when it is fertile and infertile. There has been many changes the way produce looks to consumers in the last ten to fifteen years, nowadays the fruits and vegetables look extremely bigger and brighter compared to back then. Im sure that farmers have found new chemically engineered ways to make their produce not only look appealing but also last longer, resulting in what looks to be more profitable. I am sure that the rules and regulations are for agriculture her in the US have a higher standard opposed to other countries which leads to pesticides having such negative side affects to humans. One example is India, many negative side affects leading up to death have been recorded due to pesticides. Furthermore, I want to keep learning about pesticides which is why I decided to volunteer on campus in the garden area to better understand this system.
This topic is especially captivating to me because I am currently writing a paper about why food isn't as nutritious as it used to be and what communities can do to fix this issue. This problem does root itself in the factory farming industry and is most concerning because of the glaring unfulfilled necessities of Americans. The problem with factory farming in America is the tendency to cut corners which provides consumers with below par products. These issues can easily be avoided by adopting healthy farming practices as outlined in this blog post. It is time for Americans to also adapt to a healthier more sustainable lifestyle in order to assist the wellbeing of factory farming.
ReplyDelete--Sabrena Hodges HM 370
Natasha Kleian
ReplyDeleteThis topic intrigued me because I already had a little background information on the harmful effects on pesticides and how sustainable farming practices contribute to food security. However, after reading this post I gained a lot more information and understanding on the nutritional value sustainable farming has. It is crazy to think that we are consuming foods that aren’t even reaching their fullest nutritional potential. I gained insight on how vegetables grown in fertile soil had between three to five times more minerals than ones grown in infertile soil. On top of that, I know that industrial farming is depleting our land through the overuse of soil, therefore, it is important to implement sustainable farming practices so that we can keep our soil fertile and not waste land. I wonder if there are more ways we can receive and gain access to produce from sustainable farms. If more people had knowledge on this topic, I am sure it will lead to sustainably farmed produce. It is important for us to focus on nutrition-sensitive agriculture grown without chemical pesticides to ensure accessible food that’s actually good for our bodies.
As I've learned in my nutrition class, the way our food is grown, harvested, and distributed can have a significant impact on the nutrients we consume. It's important to support nutrition-sensitive agriculture, which focuses on growing nutrient-dense crops sustainably. So, how can we as consumers support this type of agriculture through our shopping habits?
ReplyDeleteFirstly, we can start by choosing to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season and locally grown. This not only supports local farmers but also reduces the distance food has to travel, which means it's likely to be fresher and more nutritious. We can also look for labels indicating that the food was grown sustainably without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
Another way to support nutrition-sensitive agriculture is to try new and different types of fruits and vegetables. Instead of always reaching for the same few types of produce, we can explore new options that are more nutrient-dense and support a wider variety of crops.
Finally, we can advocate for policies that support sustainable and nutrition-sensitive agriculture. This could mean supporting local farmers' markets, pushing for government subsidies to support small-scale sustainable farming, or advocating for regulations that limit the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers.
Overall, by making small changes to our shopping habits and advocating for policies that support nutrition-sensitive agriculture, we can help to create a more sustainable and nutrient-dense food system.
I understand that the world had to shift to industrial agriculture to accommodate the growing population. Sadly, our land is not the same as it used to be. Because of industrial agriculture, it has led to a lot of harm against the environment. Soil quality has depleted tremendously. Good land for agriculture is also depleting. Reading your blog, I did not know that the way produce is grown by the methods of industrial agriculture has led to the produce lacking in nutrients. We should be very concern about this because we need proper nutrients to survive. Maybe this is the reason why there are so many disease killing people nowadays.
ReplyDeleteI believe the best route to ensure we have access to sustainable grown food is to be selective on what we consume. Instead of going to grocery stores, maybe consider supporting the local farmers market or food banks. If big corporations see this shift in demand, they will be forced to supply what the people want which is nutritious produce. Another solution is to start growing produce ourselves and share it with our community. The community can even start a food trading program and help each other be educated about the toxicity with the current agriculture practices.
Nguyen Thuy Lan Vo
ReplyDeleteIt has never been easy for any of us to maintain clean and healthy eating habits. However, if look closely, we can recognize that our primary food system today, industrial agriculture, has played a crucial role in inhibiting our efforts. If you've been purchasing food from large supermarkets without much concern for whether it's organic or not, or you might think you're consuming a healthy amount of vegetables and fruits. Unfortunately, the reality is that the majority of these foods often contain pesticide residues as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
According to this blog and my insights from my sustainable food system class, vegetables and fruits are often harvested before they fully ripen, grown in nutrient-depleted soil, and travel long distances to reach consumers. When all these factors are combined, the nutritional content of the food we consume falls short of our expectations. Industrial farming practices heavily rely on pesticides to protect crops from pests, but these hazardous chemicals eventually find their way into our bodies. Moreover, they contaminate the soil, water, and the surrounding ecosystem, posing additional risks to our health.
Therefore, I totally agree with the concept of nutrition-sensitive agriculture as a promising step toward steering our current food system away from nutrient degradation and the harmful effects of poisonous chemicals. Merely monitoring what you eat is insufficient to achieve a clean and healthy diet. It's equally important to pay attention to the origins of your food and the entire process from harvesting to delivery. This comprehensive approach ensures that your diet remains nutritious and healthful.
Initiating this change by focusing on maintaining the nutrient content of all our food, rather than exclusively cultivating high-value staple crops, will significantly impact the nutrients consumers receive from their food. With this foundation, our food system can gradually transition to sustainable agriculture, benefiting both our health and the environment.
Joseph Jaime
ReplyDeleteIndustrial agriculture often results in food that is harvested prematurely, transported long distances and limited in crop variety. This can cause a decrease in nutrients content in produce and a lack of natural defense systems against pest, reducing the potential health benefits for consumers. However, sustainable farming in fertile soil produces more nutrient dense crops. It allows the produce to ripen more natural on the plant, preserving a full nutrient profile.
Maximizing nutrient output calls for a shift away from industrial practices towards nutrition sensitive agriculture. The solution is focusing on growing more nutrient dense crops and prioritizing sustainability in farming, distribution and harvesting processes.
I agree with Nathan Vo as the concept of nutrition sensitive agriculture as a promising step toward steering the current food system away from nutrient degradation. Transitioning from industrial agriculture to nutrition-sensitive and sustainable farming practices can lead to healthier, more nutrient-rich, and safer food options for consumers, while also promoting environmental and agricultural sustainability.
Vanessa Neeley HM 370
ReplyDeleteThe information about industrial agriculture and its impact on our food is quite eye-opening. It's unfortunate to think about how many of the fruits and vegetables we consume are grown in depleted soil, artificially ripened, and sprayed with chemical pesticides. The fact that these practices can result in lower nutrient content in our produce is even more concerning.
I was struck by the example of the peas grown in fertile soil containing three times more zinc than those grown in infertile soil and wheat having five times more selenium. It's a clear indicator of how the quality of our food can be compromised due to industrial farming methods. Shifting our focus towards growing more nutrient-dense crops and adopting sustainable farming practices seems like a logical step to ensure our food is both healthy and environmentally responsible. It's clear that there's a need for change in our food production and consumption habits. Supporting sustainable agriculture and being mindful of where our food comes from can go a long way in ensuring that we have access to nutritious, toxin-free, and environmentally responsible options.
Thanh Hang Tran HM 370
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I can understand the importance of fruit and vegetables grown in fertile soil that have more nutrients in the edible parts of the plant than those grown in infertile soil. People are losing tons of nutrients from the produce fruit and vegetables using pesticide fertilization. In my opinion, sustainable farmers should not use chemical pesticides, fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. Without the use of hazardous chemical pesticides, sustainable farms are much safer and healthier for their farmers, workers and surrounding communities, and the food they produce is free of chemical residues. One way is to purchase fresh fruit from a local farmers’ market because the produce will have been freshly picked. I can also talk with the farmers to learn if they allow the produce to fully ripen and how soon before a market, they pick it. However, farmers’ markets are not common everywhere and they can be more expensive than a grocery store. Another option for receiving nutrient-dense produce is to buy organic foods from organic grocery market, these markets will guarantee to sell foods without chemical ferritization.
Kenneth Tran HM 370
ReplyDeleteBefore coming across Libby’s post on the topic of how food is grown and subsequently it’s role in nutrients, I was already curious on the quality of agriculture depending on where they were coming from/developed. After reading this post, I found it incredibly insightful when she differentiated agriculture quality based on pesticide based soil versus natural and fertile soil. I actually created an analogy in my head when reading upon the differences of agricultural quality. You can compare chemical fertilizers to enhance agricultural life to humans using steroids to improve bodily physique. Both human bodies and plant life require cautious handling that cannot be expedited with any sort of artificial expedition. Steroids, will amplify your body in the spur of the moment and it may look good, but in the long term it’s bad for your bodies overall health as well as TEMPORARY. When it comes to agriculture, I’d very much prefer my food to go through the natural and regular process in order to attain it’s natural amount of nutrients without any artificial boosting . If you care for something, be able to stay with it for the long run, as it’s benefits will far outweigh the negatives.
Kyla Desiree Zarza HM 370
ReplyDeleteI recently started becoming more conscious of where my food is sourced. After reading this article, it shocked me about the process of how most produce is harvested. People talk about how bad it is to use pesticides in agriculture, but don't really explain why. Who knew that using chemicals sped up the growing process and reduces the nutrients in food? It's crazy to me that what we perceive to be healthy, our fruits, vegetables, and grains, are actually not as beneficial due to the lack of nutrients. People should definitely be informed of this so they can have that option of finding better sources. I try to shop at the farmer's market or in grocery stores that are known to have sustainably-sourced items. It's a little difficult to get used to, but I know it will be better for me in the long run.
Kaolani Herrera:
ReplyDeleteBefore reading I had some previous knowledge of the basic plant maintenance and what the requirements for a plant to grow was, mainly sunlight and water. After volunteering in the Grow Beach gardens, I learned that some plants need extra care to grow and be healthy and beneficial but I didn’t know the reasons. After reading this blog I have a greater understanding of exactly why we need to supplement plants with fertile soil and all the benefits that come with it. Without the use of fertile soil in industrial farming then we would not be getting the full benefits of the food we consume. To be more sustainable we would need to redshift our focus to smaller scale farming with focus on giving the plants the nutrients they need.
Understanding the intricate journey our food takes from farm to table underscores the critical role that how foods is grown, harvested, and distributed plays in the nutrients delivered to consumers. Industrial agriculture often prioritizes quantity over quality, resulting in food grown in depleted soil and treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This diminished the nutritional value of the food and poses risks to both human health and the environment. Conversely, sustainably grown food nurtured in fertile soil without harmful chemicals tends to be richer in nutrients and free from toxins. To support nutrition-sensitive agriculture through our shopping habits, we can opt for locally grown produce from farmers' markets or CSA programs, choose organic and certified sustainable products, diversify our plates with a range of crops, reduce food waste, and engage with farmers and producers to build transparency and accountability in the food system. By aligning our shopping habits with these principles, we can contribute to creating a more resilient and resilient food system, ultimately promoting both human health and environmental well-being.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is TJ Funches
ReplyDeleteI have recently learned a great deal about how chemical pesticides and fertilizers harm not only soil, but the environment as a whole. This along with the fact that many of these chemicals are not as effective as many think makes me think that the problem we face has many layers. The ecosystems of many industrial farms discourages the presence of healthy microbes, key pollinators, and biodiversity. All of these things are integral to sustainable and healthy environments for food growth. So, the chemicals we use are both directly and indirectly harming our food sources. The way we as Americans eat and shop only exacerbates the problems. We have very little diversity in our diets and heavily rely on staple crops that are being monocultured on industrial farms. We give the operators of our food system very little reason to change their ways. To fix these problems we must begin a monumental cultural shift that prioritizes sustainability and diet diversity.
Hi Libby,
ReplyDeleteI understand how important it is for crops to ripe naturally while a part of the plant of origin. I know that fruits and veggies must be taken off the vine before they are ripe, as these must reach the consumer before they spoil. This brings into question what is more critical access to a particular crop or its nutritional content. We don't have to choose one over the other. In fact, it is possible to access both with an agricultural system that relies on more farms instead of bigger ones. If we have more spaces near residences dedicated to growing food crops, this would reduce travel time and, thus, the necessity to harvest before ripe and lessen the pressure for that piece of land to yield one crop. Especially important as the first green revolution resulted in an overall increase in calorie consumption instead of an increase in bioavailable nutrients. With a small operational land, the involvement of the commuters in managing power would be reduced, and multiple harvest seasons on multiple crops would be doable.
-Fabiana Paredes
Stephanie Paredes
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating! I was unaware that the type of fertilizer used on vegetables influences their nutrient content. I mistakenly believed that fertilizers primarily accelerated crop growth and ensured standard quality, possibly confusing this effect with the use of GMOs. Interestingly, vegetables with stems are more nutrient-rich than those harvested off the vine. My roommate often buys "living lettuce," which occasionally contains bugs, leading me to think such products are cheaper because they're dirty and inferior. However, this post has greatly informed me, influencing my grocery shopping decisions. Understanding how food is grown and distributed is crucial due to the impact on nutrient levels. Instead of purchasing frozen cauliflower, I plan to buy fresh so I can steam it myself, maximizing the nutrients I consume. This newfound knowledge will surely enhance my dietary choices.