| From: | Julie Meyer <juliemeyer@earthlink.net> |
| Sent: | Monday, November 30, 2009 8:52 PM |
| To: | ATR-Agricultural Workshops <agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov> |
| Subject: | comments on US food system |
Greetings.
I am a longtime follower of food policy in the US and internationally.
I believe our current overly-consolidated food system is monopolistic (Monsanto and seeds, for example) and disproportionately reliant on chemical and fossil-fuel inputs. There are clear environmental damages and other potential impacts yet unknown (e.g. GMO crop effects on environment and human health). The US should be encouraging more organic and sustainable farming, and more medium-scale farming as well as diversity of actors. There should be greater caution about adopting high-tech solutions with unknown impacts. We should also not be exporting highly subsidized crops to poor countries and undercutting local production (e.g., rice to Haiti); every country has the right to be as food self-sustaining as possible, if so desired.
thank you,
Julie Meyer
Washington, DC