Besides being thoughtful about your food choices, what more can be done? We offer these suggestions:
Become familiar with the Farm Bill, a set of laws that is reviewed and updated every five years (the next update to occur in 2018). It has a powerful influence on the livelihood of farms and ranches as well as the practices that are used in growing food. While reviewing the document, ask questions like: “What is being supported and allowed to flourish as a result of these laws?”; “Is something missing or left out?”; “How are these laws connected to the use of natural resources and to the health of the environment?”
Join and take action with the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, an organization that supports independent family farmers and protects a healthy and productive food supply. Get to know your legislator and receive alerts when important policy and legislation changes are in effect. FARFA supports its members by providing up-to-date information, sample talking points, and contacts.
Volunteer and donate to organizations that are working to protect healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. These organizations include, but are not limited to:
- Clean water initiatives that monitor and protect rivers and estuaries/
- Organizations that identify and preserve endangered livestock species and plant varieties.
- Citizen science projects that train skilled volunteers to collect and process data.
- Groups that identify ways to reduce and redirect food waste
- Conservation efforts that identify global biodiversity hotspots.
- Farmland trusts that preserve the lands that feed and sustain us.
Awareness and action around our daily food choices directly impacts the biodiversity and health of our planet. As Dr. Jane Goodall reminds us, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
