We may not know the majority of the food we consume everyday may be poisoned. In order to keep insects away from farmers’ crops, the farmers put pesticides on them to kill the bugs off. Once those crops are eaten our bodies then welcome the chemicals into our system. As the chemicals enter our systems our bodies may then become contaminated and maybe even harmed. The young people of Rooted in Community put together a list of demands called the “Youth Food Bill of Rights” to help make our country’s food system better. Of all the demands made by the youth in the “Youth Food Bill of Rights” the one that I relate to most is the right to poison-free food because I deserve to eat unharmful food.
Chemical pesticides are dangerous chemicals used in agriculture. As we continue to eat poisoned food we are possibly preparing our bodies for the worst! In the article “Revolutionary Plots: Urban agriculture is producing a lot more than food” by Rebecca Solnit, she explains that in the first green revolution the harmfulness in crops increased because crops were being introduced to more toxics. Solnit writes, “The first green revolution may have increased yield in many cases, but it also increased alienation and toxicity, and it was efficient only if you ignored its fossil fuel dependency, carbon output, and other environmental impacts.” For example visualize yourself eating that mosquito Off spray you use in the summer. Well similar components that are maybe used in the spray might also be used in the harvest you are eating. As a result we are eating diseased food which is a problem for our health.
I relate most to the right to poison-free food because although the purposes of pesticides are to kill off bugs on our crops; pesticides may harm our bodies. Solnit explains in her article that gardens could help us live a better life because we would be able to grow our own crops. Solnit writes, “Gardens can be territory for staking out the possibility of a better and different way of living, working, eating, and relating to the world, though by gardens we nowadays mostly mean food-producing gardens, gardens that verge on farms, or farms that verge on gardens.” Today, here in Philadelphia, my father has own his own gardens; a vegetable garden in front of my house, and another in the back of his pizzeria. He grows many crops such as, tomatoes, squash, green peppers, cucumbers and mint. For example if I grow my own garden, I will know exactly what’s in my crops and what I am eating. However, if I were to purchase produce from supermarkets or farms, I would be possibly exposing myself to poisoned food. Therefore this is why I should have the right to poison-free food.
I have come up with possible solutions to eliminate chemical pesticides from our food. One solution is that every community could grow a community garden. The people in the communities should come together to brainstorm ways they could introduce gardens. By growing a garden the community would have easy access to organic crops! Solnit explains in her article that Michelle Obama grew an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn and that some progress of the issue is already being made. Solnit writes, “Projects like Fritz Haeg’s Edible Estates antilawn campaign and Michelle Obama’s breaking ground for an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn a couple of years ago make it clear a movement is under way.” For example by having a garden in our community, we will no longer need to buy poisoned crops from grocery stores, and we would even save money and be healthier. Although another solution we could arise would be to pressure supermarkets to eliminate harmful chemicals from their produce. Thus we will have an organic garden walking distance from our home, as well as supermarkets no longer using chemical pesticides.
I relate to the demand that we have the right to poison-free food by the youth in the “Youth Food Bill of Rights”. Eating food that is harmful to our health should be a major concern worldwide. If we remain to tolerate agriculturalists infecting our crops, we are also allowing them to infect our bodies. We the youth should come together and begin growing our own organic crops in our communities. With organic gardens walking distance from our homes we will have easy access to organic crops, and save money. Another reason we should grow our own crops is so that we could have knowledge of what we are consuming. In conclusion farmers must also stop using chemical pesticides in our food.
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