In response to “Scientific advances help feed the world” (WP op-ed, Sept. 8).
Feeding the world does not necessarily translate into providing nutritious food. One has to look no further than the frequency of allergies, asthm a, attention deficit disorder, depression, arteriosclerosis, degenerative diseases, cancer, obesity, diabetes, etc. to determine the quality of our food. Is our health the result of the methods of increasing plant production or food processing?
Nutritious crops cannot be grown on low quality soils. Technology, born out of science, cannot take into account all the variables within nature’s complex network of relationships. High tech solutions to low tech problems are not sustainable because technology is only able to address symptoms, not overcome problems.
Improving soil health increases both nutritional quality and yield of crops. When health is returned to the world’s soils, health will return to the people.
There is too much money made from products combating the symptoms of poor soil health to allow agronomy to chart a sustainable course.
Garrett Osborn,Big Beaver, Sask.
