This is Agriculture?
The truth about farming, and it isn’t easy…
Agriculture is one of the key factors for our survival. It all started when the first farmer planted his first seed. Farming is the activity or business of growing crops and raising livestocks. But farming today has change a lot since the birth of agriculture. When someone talks about agriculture, one usually ends up thinking about the country-side where farmers rednecks/country/ cowboys. But in reality, farmers are some of the most hardworking people. My grandparents were farmers before we immigrated to the United States from China. They had their own rice plantation and they also raised livestocks. They would wake up early in the morning and come back late at night. Being a farmer isn’t easily, not only do they have to bare with the hard-work, they also have to bare with social stereotypes. I currently live in an agricultural state where majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts are produced in the state: 99 percent of artichokes, 99 percent of walnuts, 97 percent of kiwis, 97 percent of plums, 95 percent of celery, 95 percent of garlic, 89 percent of cauliflower. These are just some of the fruits and vegetables produced in California. According to statistics, in 2012 there was about 25,569,001 acres of land dedicated to agriculture. Much of this land is owned by giant corporations like Monsanto.
Monsanto is an agriculture company that started with traditional farming. Among other corporations Monsanto was one of the first to conduct field trials of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They were also one of the first companies to apply biotechnology into agriculture.
Genetically modified organism is defined as an organism that has had its DNA altered or modified in some way through genetic engineering. GMO Technology has been in large-scale agricultural crops. 90% of the soy, cotton, canola, corn and sugar beets sold in the United States have been genetically engineered. DOES THIS SCARE ANYONE? I MEAN 90% OF THE STUFF WE ARE EATING IS OR HAVE BEEN GENETICALLY MODIFIED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!
Benefits?
Genetically engineered foods are sometimes tastier, more nutritious and resistant to diseases and droughts. We might benefit from the fast farming and fast food production.
Potential Risks?
Genetic alteration can cause harm and modified organism could be inbred with natural organisms, leading to possible extinction of the original species. Other risks might include human health complications such as cancer, toxic and allergic reactions, and damage to virtually every organ.
GMO companies like Monsanto have put lots of local, traditional farmers out of jobs. Because of recent technological development, big corporations like Monsanto can afford to buy bigger machines making farming more efficient. Big corporations has not only ruined many farmers lives, but also put many in debt. 150,000 farmers in India have committed suicide because they buy seeds every year from Monsanto at a very high cost. About 1.5 million surviving family members have been affected by this mass suicide. In 2009 alone, 17,638 farmers committed suicide and between the years 1991 and 2001 about eight million Indians left farming. Now you might ask, why are farmers in India committing suicide? The answer is simple, Indian’s government has done almost nothing to ensure the rights of Indian farmers. Many farmers choose to commit suicide because of the stress that Indian farmers face. “We won’t earn even 10,000 rupees (US$250) a year from our seven acres.” Nanda Bhandare (a surviving family member of a farmer who committed suicide in 2008). Farmers also commit suicide so that their family can get compensated. $2243 in U.S. dollars is compensated for every farmer that commits suicide but only under some conditions. Many who took their own life did not even qualify for compensation.
This is not only an issue of corporation taking over local business this is also a human rights issue that needs to be addressed. Because of big corporations like Monsanto, farming is becoming more and more difficult in today’s society as biotechnology is slowly taking over the corporate world. Companies like Monsanto only cares about makes more money, their GMO foods have not only cost a suicide epidemic in India it has also limited our food source from none GMO farming. India has long been one of the biggest farming capitals of the world now loses farmers daily as corporations like Monsanto steps over local farmers. Third World countries have long been affected by First World businesses as we live in a corporate state- A state governed by representatives not of geographical areas but of vocational corporations of the employers and employees in each trade, profession, or industry. We need to start taking action by talking about the matter because we need sustainable agriculture. From the students and faculty of University of California-Riverside we say:
