The US Government has been burying scientific studies on Climate Change for years 

Next week there is forecasted to be deadly heat waves in Europe, continued wildfires on the West Coast of the US, the polar ice caps in Greenland are melting at the quickest rate in our known history, and there are millions of animal and plant species that are near extinction. What do all of these things have in common? Yes, that’s right, Climate Change. And yet, despite all of the very clear, blarring signs that this is a worldwide issue, our government has decided they would rather bury the studies showing the real affects of climate change. The Department of Agriculture has done 

numerous studies looking at the “wide-ranging effects of rising carbon dioxide, increasing temperatures and volatile weather”, but the Trump Administration has continuously refused to 

promote or draw attention to the dangers that these studies have found. This means that the food supply of our world, is being overlooked in order to keep the current administrations agenda the same. Read the full article here. 

The Impossible Burger is not all it has been touted, being found to be very high in carcinogens! 

While many non-meat eaters were happy to hear that the world of meat-alternatives was expanding with the creation of things like the Impossible Burger, a burger made from plant proteins, that looks, and tastes like a real hamburger. But not all things are as good as they seem. It has recently been found that the Impossible Burger tested positive for high levels of Glyphosate, having 11.3 ppb of Glyphosate present in the “meat”, according to analysis done at the Health Research Institute. The testing was done by the Mom’s Across America, a non-profit group that is raising awareness around toxic exposures throughout our society.

The cause of this finding, you ask? The use of GMO Soy in the products, along with almost 3/4 of the ingredients being GMO and non-organic. Over 90% of soy grown in this country is grown using pesticides, like Glyphosate.  Even though the Impossible Burger is being touted as healthy, in reality it is made from GMO soy, which we now know contains harmful chemicals. Right now, they are not required to label the products they use as GMO, so consumers do not know the harmful chemicals that could be lurking in their “faux-burger”. Glyphosate has been proven to be carcinogenic, and so eating a product with this high of a concentration of Glyphosate regularly, could have serious negative affects on the health of consumers! 

This poses another question all together though, while many think the Impossible Burger, and Beyond Burger, are the way of the future, in reality these companies are just another way for processed food companies to profit off of another industrialized food product, Dr. Vandana Shiva called it “Fake Food, Fake Meat”. While the mission behind the idea of these “burgers” is good; Eat less meat, to help the planet, and your health, this is not the solution to the problem.

So what is the answer then? Some say going back to the basics – Small-Scale Farming.

This National Geographic article and amazing photo series, “Why we Need Small Farms” , highlights small-scale farmers from throughout the world, who are making a difference in helping mitigate climate change, and are feeding tons of people along the way. 

Photo Credit: National Geographic

While some people are pushing, plant-based proteins, lab-based meats and other technological ways to mitigate climate change, there is another path we also need to be talking about. That one is supporting small-scale family farmers around the world, and locally! These farmers are important for so many reasons, but here are some obvious ones: 

1. They help increase biodiversity – which is important for the health of the soil
2. Increasing Soil Health increases plant growth, the preservation of future seeds, increases foods being grown and harvested, and helps mitigate climate change carbon emissions! 
3. They produce almost 70% of the worlds food, so smaller farms are actually more fruitful than some large-scale industrial farms. 
4. They are using fair trade & fair labor practices, unlike large scale industrial farms – so they have a much more sustainable model. 

Pasture lands and potato farms dominate Javakheti, a mountainous region in southern Georgia. -PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTOINE BRUY, COURTESY WE FEED THE WORLD – National Geographic

“Big agriculture is not the only answer—it’s a myth we’re constantly peddled by,” says project director Francesca Price. “We want these images to empower people to support their local food system.” 

Support Local, support small-scale farmers, support family farmers!