Comments on: Big, Beautiful Farms http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html A Historian's Take on Food and Food Politics Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:05:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ji-Young http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html/comment-page-1#comment-1976 Ji-Young Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:41:04 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=420#comment-1976 The same kind of folks are usually fervently against GMOs which they almost exclusively associate with Monsanto. But when I talk to them about biotech seeds and drought resistant agriculture they find it quite fascinating. I don't mean to sound smug but this is the general level of knowledge that we're talking about here. It's a very corporate kind of mentality, it's not about civic participation and environmental stewardship so much as the latest spin put on the issues in a news story. The latest fad. The same kind of folks are usually fervently against GMOs which they almost exclusively associate with Monsanto.

But when I talk to them about biotech seeds and drought resistant agriculture they find it quite fascinating.

I don’t mean to sound smug but this is the general level of knowledge that we’re talking about here. It’s a very corporate kind of mentality, it’s not about civic participation and environmental stewardship so much as the latest spin put on the issues in a news story. The latest fad.

]]> By: Rachel Laudan http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html/comment-page-1#comment-1965 Rachel Laudan Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:14:05 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=420#comment-1965 I fervently hope you are right Ji-Young. I fervently hope you are right Ji-Young.

]]> By: Ji-Young Park http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html/comment-page-1#comment-1946 Ji-Young Park Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:38:51 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=420#comment-1946 "I am constantly amazed at the numbers of people who sit at their (say) Toshiba computers on a chair from Ikea or Office Depot wearing Levis and drinking Coke and then rhapsodize about the small farm" I know these kinds of people well. And I don't mean just from food forums. They do represent a good chunk of people I normally "happen" to socialize with in real life. By happen to I mean by chance of socio-economic circumstance. They are a bit more well to too, have more leisure time than most, think a nanny or a housekeep are musts, more educated than average, and so on. I think the attitude is shifting a bit with even this group. I'm hearing less and less of the pat, simple solutions people bought into up until a few years ago. There are probably many reasons for it. I have a running list... “I am constantly amazed at the numbers of people who sit at their (say) Toshiba computers on a chair from Ikea or Office Depot wearing Levis and drinking Coke and then rhapsodize about the small farm”

I know these kinds of people well. And I don’t mean just from food forums. They do represent a good chunk of people I normally “happen” to socialize with in real life. By happen to I mean by chance of socio-economic circumstance. They are a bit more well to too, have more leisure time than most, think a nanny or a housekeep are musts, more educated than average, and so on.

I think the attitude is shifting a bit with even this group. I’m hearing less and less of the pat, simple solutions people bought into up until a few years ago. There are probably many reasons for it. I have a running list…

]]> By: Rachel Laudan http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html/comment-page-1#comment-1890 Rachel Laudan Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:43:54 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=420#comment-1890 Thanks for that, Ji-Young. Thanks for that, Ji-Young.

]]> By: Ji-Young Park http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html/comment-page-1#comment-1889 Ji-Young Park Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:52:40 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=420#comment-1889 Awhile back I posted a link to a story about maharashtra farmers on bookofraiforum http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=7513 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7333911.stm It's because of debt structures that are stacked against them. Awhile back I posted a link to a story about maharashtra farmers on bookofraiforum

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=7513
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7333911.stm

It’s because of debt structures that are stacked against them.

]]> By: Rachel Laudan http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html/comment-page-1#comment-1887 Rachel Laudan Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:22:27 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=420#comment-1887 Rajagopal, do you have any links to these farmer suicides? Rajagopal, do you have any links to these farmer suicides?

]]> By: rajagopal sukumar http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/07/big-beautiful-farms.html/comment-page-1#comment-1886 rajagopal sukumar Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:44:14 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=420#comment-1886 Good one Rachel. In India, i think all the farmer suicides are happening because of small scale farming. I wish the large scale farming was taken up quickly. Good one Rachel. In India, i think all the farmer suicides are happening because of small scale farming. I wish the large scale farming was taken up quickly.

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