Just 15 crop plants provide 90 percent of the world's food energy intake (exclusive of meat), with rice, maize and wheat comprising two-thirds of human food consumption. These three alone are the staples of over 4 billion people.- wikipedia
This industrial farming culture resulted in wiping out of hundreds of local crop varieties. The problem was aggravated by the production of Hybrid seeds which increased yield and were more weather resistant. This resulted in majority of the world's farms growing Mono-culture crops. These not only extracted maximum out of the soil but Destroyed the bio-diversity. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers were the next introduction into the farming culture. The harm these chemicals have caused the earth is becoming more evident every day- from causing cancer to the mass death of birds, worms and insects; bees dying have been in the news recently.
If the problem was not large enough we introduced Bio-diesel, to reduce/supplement oil drilling.
The economic geniuses created another way of screwing up mother earth- GM crops. From apples to soy beans, almost all local produce was systematically edged out and replaced by factory manufactured seeds and plants.
Exactly the same pattern can be seen in Cattle and Chicken farming. The same problems of chemicals in the food and loss of diversity plagued the animal husbandry sector.
We have been squeezing our land so hard and for so long that it can not rejuvenate. Aggressive industrial techniques applied to farming resulted in a glut of food production initially but now we face much greater dangers- Land Degradation, Water Pollution and De-forestation.
Keep in mind that there are MILLIONS suffering from MALNUTRITION all over the world- even in USA and Europe. Take a look at today's headline: 1 in 3 kids under 5 suffers due to poor diets across globe - The Pioneer
We need ALL the food available and we need to produce more in a sustainable fashion. Be it wheat and rice or eggs and milk. We can not afford to act with the view of immediate or short term gains. So:
- support organic and natural farming
- stop using processed foods as much as possible
- Protest against Chemical/ pesticide use
- Conserve water and recycle waste
In the next few years if we fail to repair the global ecology it will not matter much whether I am vegan or no.