In the past few weeks there has been almost too much news to keep on top of in food & agriculture related areas.

As the USDA’s bid to implement National Animal ID strengthens at the State level, all appearances are that as more people find out about this invasive, privacy stealing plan the backlash is having a profound effect. Nevertheless individual states keep coming up with new ideas to keep disease and panic in the front of farmer’s and consumers minds whether it is justified or not. The USDA would do well to study and learn from the Bernard Matthews Debacle in the UK. Perhaps then they would consider it more important to keep a tighter reign on our borders. You can hear more of my views about the USDA, Avian Flu and the crisis in Modern Agriculture in Gastrocast #96 and Gastrocast #97.

Meanwhile the mad desire to tag and track everything in the world has taken a step off the farm and away from livestock, pets and plants to the creatures of the deep blue sea. This latest plan seems to be more about “foster(ing) the development of new Canadian technology” then any sort of rational, sensible use of funding and money. Just because we have the technology doesn’t mean we should use it. This same goes true for cloning. The FDA approval of untested science and the possible repercussions is horrendous. At least the FDA is willing to try keeping organic food safe from clones.

Finally–for now–there is the matter of Peanut Butter. Or, more specifically, Salmonella in Peanut Butter. Like so many other food borne illness outbreaks, this one has spread far and wide. One of the questions to ask is that with 300 people affected and 39 states involved and a timeline reaching back to August–why is this just now making the news? Did it really take this long to link similar food-poisoning cases? Or has food mega-giant corporation ConAgra been covering its tracks trying to do damage control without actually solving the problem until 300 people and counting have been made sick? It’s not like the food giant doesn’t already have a long rap-sheet of previous instances. There are probably ConAgra products on your shelf right now you had no idea they were involved in. And it doesn’t stop there. ConAgra is a global company. Their reach and influence has altered the shape of modern agriculture and food, much to the detriment of small farmers around the world.

With the number of national food borne illness outbreaks on the rise we have to question whether the current system of consolidation in agriculture and production is working. Centralized processing plants may be cost effective and efficient, but how efficient is a nationwide recall of a product and the hundreds inevitable lawsuits? With transportation costs on the rise, raw material prices climbing and an increase in lax standards across much of the food industry certainly the move towards a de-centralized system of smaller, easier to control and maintain processing facilities providing more jobs for local industries might actually help reduce overall costs and limit public health concerns. Vertical integration in business–the control of all or most of an industry: from seed to soup–might be a good thing for the corporate sector, but when it cuts across health, safety and a strong economy we have to ask if what’s good for the corporation is really the best for humanity.

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