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Re: British Beef Situation
In article <aquilla.1181173788A@emba-news.emba.uvm.edu>, Tracy Aquilla (aquilla@salus.med.uvm.edu) writes:
>In Article <wVtkvBAghyfxEwCg@chalex.demon.co.uk>, cmb
><cmb@chalex.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>In article <4lhajd$jmc@news1.exit109.com>, "Nathan D. Justus"
>><nathan@exit109.com> writes
>>>In article <flOojiAmDzexEwd7@upthorpe.demon.co.uk>,
>>> Oz <Oz@upthorpe.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Farmers in pre-fertiliser and pre-spray days farmed organically and
>>>>achieved yields typically less than 1/3 of what we have today (UK). They
>>>>actually knew what they were doing, were pretty smart and had 2000+
>>>>years of experience. If you think that, with much of the knowledge lost,
>>>>and with little experience you are going to do any better then you
>>>>merely expose your ignorance. I take it you are a practising organic
>>>>farmer earning your entire income from it?
>>>>
>>the last sentence shows how we can become blinkered by the constraints
>>of modern western economic theory. you do not have to be a practising
>>organic farmer or earn your entire income from it in order to contribute
>>both in theory and practice to (a) a more sustainable way of life (b)
>>producing healthy food.
>
>You seem to be making the assumption that: (a) organic = "more sustainable"
>and (b) organic = "healthy", implying that conventionally-grown products
>aren't. Many studies have been conducted to this effect and I'm not aware of
>any which have shown a significant increase in the nutritional/health value
>of organically grown products. This is simply folklore, and is not borne out
>by any reliable data.
Tracy,
Here is an extract of a recent report from Rutgers University
entitled "Variation in Mineral Content in Vegetables" (Firman
E.Bear report).
In this study, the inorganic vegetables were bought at a standard
supermarket and compared with organic vegetables grown in
naturally-fertilised soil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
Percentage of Dry Weight| Millequivalents | Trace Elements in
| per 100gm Dry Weight | Parts per Million
*(1) Total Ash/ Nineral | | (Dry Matter)
Matter | |
| |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
*(1) P | Ca Mg K Na B Mn Fe Cu Co
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SNAP BEANS
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Organic 10.45 0.36 | 40.5 60.0 99.7 8.6 | 73 60 227 69 .26
Non-Org 4.04 0.22 | 15.5 14.8 29.1 0.0 | 10 2 10 3 .00
--------------------------------------------------------------------
CABBAGE
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Organic 10.38 0.38 | 60.0 43.6 148.3 20.4| 42 13 94 48 .15
Non-Org 6.12 0.18 | 17.5 15.6 53.7 0.8 | 7 2 20 0.4 .00
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTUCE
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Organic 24.48 0.43 | 71.0 49.3 176.5 12.2| 37 169 516 60 .19
Non-Org 7.01 0.22 | 16.0 13.1 53.7 0.0 | 6 1 9 3 .00
--------------------------------------------------------------------
TOMATOES
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Organic 14.20 0.35 | 23.0 59.2 148.3 6.5 | 36 68 1938 53 .63
Non-Org 6.07 0.16 | 4.5 4.5 58.8 0.0 | 5 1 1 0 .00
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SPINACH
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Organic 28.56 0.52 | 96.0 203.9 257.0 69.5| 88 117 1584 32 .25
Non-Org 12.38 0.27 | 47.5 46.9 84.6 0.8| 12 1 19 0.5 .20
--------------------------------------------------------------------
CONCLUSION: Commercially grown, inorganic vegetables are very low in mineral
and trace mineral content.
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Obviously, the way you interpret these results is up to you.
David Libby: 112 Kedleston Rd, Derby, DE22 1FW, England
Tel: 01332 736775, Fax too but please ring first.
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