Whether we like it or not, the retailers of food and the giant corporations that manufacture and package food have the upper hand when it comes to food policy in most countries. Giant corporations dictate food policy and we really suffer because they do.
About 35 years ago the OECD's Science and Technology Division as it then was did substantial studies of key technology industries and the influence of giant international companies on countries hosting such companies. The key industries were electronics, food, and pharmaceuticals. The studies for electronics and pharmaceuticals were done smoothly and effectively. The study for the food industry was a shambles.
In an article in July reporting on the American food industry, the New Scientist pointed to evidence showing how much food is wasted annually by the United States. since food waste is also water and energy waste, this amounts to an additional crisis situation for our energy and water problems. The fact is that the US FDA, Federal Drug Administration, is not and never was up to the task of devising food policies for the United States. That the US NSF, National Science Foundation, as well was not up to task of directing research into food policies is also very evident. The crisis in the United States is huge and many people die prematurely from inappropriate food policies. as this is also the case elsewhere in the world, I seriously ask the question of you? Will you die prematurely because of bad or deficient food policies worldwide and in your country.
Indeed, it is very possible that you yourself saw the billions in medical expenses pored into creating a flu vaccine that was probably due to poor food policies worldwide. Possibly, the swine flu might never have appeared had the farms producing swine been appropriately designed.
The main issue is that the large food corporations are defining food policies that impact negatively on health and may lead to everyone's premature death including the employees and officers of those very same large corporations.
What can we do?
Bad food policies exist worldwide at every stage of the food invention, innovation, production, marketing and distribution chain. We are sold bad food because, we, worldwide, don't get organized enough to distinguish good policies from bad policies. Many people die every day because of bad policies. Almost all people die prematurely because of bad policies.
We need to devise and implement good food policies affecting every aspect of the food chain from agriculture to recycling of food waste and waste of by products and inputs that go into the food system. It is perhaps man kinds greatest challenge because of the huge numbers of people starving and because hunger is such an avoidable bad consequence of bad food policies.
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Will ye no think kindly on those who would be your friends! May the sun shine with your thoughts, today, and happiness grow in your heart! May you allow yourself some peace of mind.
