Session 1: The Chickenization of Organic
Rapid consolidation across our food system is limiting consumer choices, inflating prices, and putting farmers out of business. As meat packers, grocery chains, and distributors absorb smaller players and increase their market power, we look to make sense of this grim new reality. How can US antitrust laws play a role in saving organic farmers and ensuring that real organic food remains available? Millions of citizens desperately want such food, and they are losing the choice. How can we best locate and use the institutional acupuncture points that will lead to the future we seek?
https://realorganicproject.org/symposium-2024/(link is external)
Session 2: In Defense of Biology
Do we need sophisticated tech and chemistry to grow our food today, or should we rely on age-old practices that embrace ecology and human wisdom? The current struggle between these two visions for our future is seen in the EU’s Farm To Fork proposal and the USDA’s submission to Big Ag’s grip on so-called “Climate-Smart” funding. While the pesticide industry doubles down on false promises of higher yields and food security to nations that embrace their yet unproven Green Revolution, organic farmers point to the longtime success they’ve found building organic matter in soils and limiting pest and disease pressure by advancing biodiversity.