Here is an amazing, incredible and alarming excuse to invest in organic food and it has hardly anything to do with your personal health, immediately. Just life on earth.
In the last year, we’ve had two reports suggesting massive damage to our ecosystem, largely because of the pesticides sprayed on our food. In birds – the North American continent has lost nearly 3 billion birds, hundreds of species over the last five decades. They describe it as an overlooked biodiversity crisis – 1 in 4 birds.
Now insects, the underappreciated insects that outnumber humans by 17 to one – they’re facing extinction. The insect apocalypse, according to a recent article in the Guardian, poses a risk to all life on earth. The report claims that 400,000 species – not insects, but species – face extinction, amid heavy use of pesticides and they call this an unnoticed insect apocalypse. Now, half of all insects may have been lost since 1970 as a result of the destruction of nature and the heavy use of pesticides according to the report. That 40% of the 1 million known species are facing extinction.
Already in the last century, 23 bees and wasp species became extinct in the UK, as pesticide applications doubled. Butterflies in the UK that specialize in particular habitats have fallen 77%. The generalists declined by 46%. These are incredible numbers.
Now they recommend, of course, reducing the use of pesticides in agriculture and building up wild spaces in home gardens and outside – turning parks into wild spaces. Now, we may normally read that as something, “they should do,” but let’s change that up.
If we are demanding healthy, organic food, then our influence trickles back through the food supply and pays more money to those people who are not using these deadly insecticides, herbicides, etc. So I’m going to read this from the perspective of motivation for us. Another motivation. Yes, our health will improve dramatically. Yes, our kids’ health. Yes, we may have more energy, more focus and a better memory. Did I say, better memory?
However, this is another excuse – people say, “Well, how can I afford organic?” And I’ve said in the past, “To combine your health budget with your food budget, but also your philanthropy budget.” Some people will wait until the end of the year to give money to an organization.
By the way, please give money to the Institute for Responsible Technology, we really need it! Also, on a regular basis, please invest in organic agriculture, in the healthy use of land. That can be your mental excuse for paying 50 cents or a dollar more for a vegetable or fruit in the produce section, or grains, beans or anything that you order. Because consider it an investment for the birds and the bees.
And of course your health. Safe eating.