There\u2019s good news and bad news about the future of edible food in the world, and, specifically, in New Mexico.<\/p>\n
One item of bad news is that the New Mexico Senate rejected the bill to require labeling of genetically modified food (SB18, sponsored by Sen. Peter Wirth of Santa Fe), \u00a0deciding that you don\u2019t have the right to make informed choices about what you\u2019re eating.\u00a0 This was a disappointment but not a surprise; New Mexico rarely does well at resisting powerful lobbies.<\/p>\n
The good news is that New Mexico is seeing growth in organic farming and local marketing of farmed products.\u00a0 According to New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte, organic farming in New Mexico brought in about $53 million in 2011.<\/p>\n
The organic food movement reflects several overlapping themes about healthful food and environmental sustainability.\u00a0 Public concern is growing over the<\/p>\n
long-term safety of genetically altered food, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, the health of the soil, toxic chemicals in the water, humane treatment of farm animals, and even the health of those essential pollinators, bees. As the concern grows, so does support for local farmers who choose to grow organic.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s annual New Mexico Organic Farming Conference<\/a>, believed to be the largest agriculture conference in New Mexico, packed a hotel conference center recently with roughly 800 people attending.<\/p>\n One sign of the trend was featured speaker Temple Grandin, a renowned expert in the humane treatment of cattle.\u00a0 Grandin, whose fascinating life story was told in an HBO movie, has developed methods of handling cattle, so that they remain calm and tranquil even on their way to the slaughterhouse.\u00a0\u00a0 Her approach, and that of organizations represented at the conference, reflects the growing interest of farmers and consumers for animals raised naturally on sustainable pasture with concern for the animal\u2019s welfare, the quality of the meat, and the impact on the land.<\/p>\n New Mexico will be host, in April, of the national conference of the group Beyond Pesticides (www.beyondpesticides.org).\u00a0 The conference will focus on building resilience in our food system and bringing ecosystems back to balance, incorporating regional issues such as water and food sovereignty in the Southwest.<\/p>\n Lots of organizations are supporting this conference. The list of New Mexico cosponsors includes Agri-cultura Network<\/a>, Amigos Bravos<\/a>, Cuatro Puerta, Farm to Table<\/a>, Food and Water Watch NM<\/a>, Holistic Management International<\/a>, Mid-Region Council of Governments Agriculture Collaborative<\/a>, New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Organic Program<\/a>, Our Endangered Aquifer Working Group, Skarsgard Farms<\/a> and South Valley Economic Development Center (SVEDC)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another recent conference was sponsored by the Quivira Coalition, best known for creating a cooperative dialogue between ranchers and environmentalists in southwestern New Mexico.\u00a0 The conference was titled, \u201cHow to feed nine billion people from the ground up.\u201d\u00a0 Nine billion is the estimated population of the planet by year 2050. This conference focused on similar issues with more emphasis on land and water conservation, including such ground-breaking science developments as using soils to trap environmental carbon.<\/p>\n The website for the organic program at New Mexico State University has a data base listing all certified organic producers in New Mexico, covering everything from pecan trees to goat cheese and ayurvedic herbs.<\/p>\n Patronizing the farmers\u2019 markets last summer, I noticed more and more stalls that advertised their produce as organic; many others said they have not qualified for certification yet but they use organic methods.\u00a0 The gold standard is labels with the USDA \u201ccertified organic\u201d logo.<\/p>\n Though a few markets operate year round, most will be starting up in the spring.\u00a0 You can find local markets at www.farmersmarketsnm.org.<\/p>\n Fortunately, this movement is buoyant, positive, excited and brimming with energy.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it all depends on water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There\u2019s good news and bad news about the future of edible food in the world, and, specifically, in New Mexico. One item of bad news is that the New Mexico Senate rejected the bill to require labeling of genetically modified … Continue reading