Food betrayal -- don’t swallow the lies | Alan Lewis | TEDxBoulder

[@pahillbilly7455]

I am one of those small farmers he is talking about. Corporate farming is a threat to my very existence. But trust me, I would not sell anything that I would not eat myself, or use any chemicals that would potentially harm myself or others. I keep up on the science and research and if anything is questionable I dont use it up to and including chemicals approved for organic farming. I would rather deal with a few crop losses then be accused of destroying the land and the lives of people

[@devilinav7494]

Pa Hillbilly I'm glad there are still a few of y'all out there. I try to buy from people like you, but small local farmers can be hard to find.

[@aplewis7346]

The moral of the story is to rebuild local processing and regional logistics so we can move fresh food around to cities and support rural communities outside of the industrial system You in?

[@Reciprocity_Soils]

We need more people, farmers and gardeners to follow your lead. Keep sharing your experience and knowledge. We are listening at Ecosystem Restoration Camps Community.

[@aplewis7346]

@@Reciprocity_Soils Thumbs up for ERC!

[@ptsdjoe4956]

You're awesome. I wish I could find a farm like yours near me in Modesto, California. I study video after video of, well, everything!! All of the lies of... Everything. Anyway, I appreciate your humanitarian approach to farming with conscience. Good for you!!! THANK YOU!!!!

[@TheCrazycrab2]

I have a solution to this whole thing! Community Gardens, every town, city, little beach community whatever all pitch in to grow a community garden big enough to support the community that harbours it. This is how Human civilization first flourished without corporations and scientist doing their lab testing. Use Facebook to organise these things but then go out and interact with one another its what we were born to do !

[@aplewis7346]

AMEN. Could not agree more. Look for my book later this year.

[@paulitza9]

What a good idea.

[@rutameldere3992]

paulitza9 l

[@soslothful]

It is an admirable idea. However, I suspect it is very likely the people working the community gardens would arrive one morning to find all their work harvested.

[@jayearnhardt9790]

And this is how the populations of the world will be annialayed to the levels that the Georgia guide stones will come to pass only 500 million will be allowed to survive for there utopian nightmare but I choose to believe they will fail because God is great and jesus is the way and the truth period

[@rocketmentor]

So happy to be vegan, vegetarian at 22, Vegan at 63, Almond/Walnut milks are awesome, no dairy anymore.Lost 20 Lbs in a month. If more people tried it the dairy industry would almost disappear, start teaching our children with videos like this one, thank you!

[@aplewis7346]

Almonds - one of the most damaging crops on the planet. Go figure.

[@lap9]

​@@aplewis7346explain?

[@MR-fx9gg]

I am so happy that without me even thinking about it I went vegan years ago. I live on nuts, greens, fruits, minerals and coffee. I try to not even use vegan processed food and I duo not use plastic bottled water. Making green smoothies at home has been my saving grace. Since going vegan, I've watch my non vegan friends age so dramatically and I have never felt better. Even when I do get sick now, its strange - I do not even feel as bad I used to and I get better faster. It is amazing to me that people still eat meat and consume dairy I just do not understand it.

[@dickhamilton3517]

I'm about 70. This is what I grew up with. No feed lots, just cows wandering over hills, eating grass, and hay made from that grass, in the winter. I had never tasted pasteurised milk until I was 19 or so, and never had beef fed with silage. Just grass and hay. The beef tasted fantastic. But you see, the cattle had to be allowed to live for about twice as long to grow fully, and that's why the industry wanted to change it - it lets them make the same money with fewer cattle. Funny thing is, that change gives them an advantage for a few years, but then the good taste is gone and the price they can get drops, so they cut costs further by feeding grain and corn, and the quality drops again, but by this time, they have much more of the market because their product is cheap, and the good guys now have so little of the market they have to jack the price of their good product up high or they go out of business - so the good stuff also gets much dearer because the poor stuff is cheaper and sells more. Go back, get great taste and good healthy stuff you can still afford. And the farmer makes more money, not less.

[@solohoh]

I'm 80 & was raised on a 4 person, family dairy farm in Eastern Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Dutch) -- I'm bewildered. There's no one around anymore who understands what normal is.

[@dickhamilton3517]

all I know is that every "improvement" in "efficiency" in farming over the last 50/60 years translates into less tasty, less nutritious meat, older milk, blander cheese, shorter lives for the livestock, less income for the farmer (dramatically less, per pound), more income for the middlemen, more income for the supermarkets and less value for the consumer. Beef (all meats, really) used to taste amazing. When the smell of a piece of meat cooking hit you, your mouth would turn into a waterfall.

[@optimisticfuture6808]

I’m 55 and in my lifetime the population of the earth has doubled. Tripled in yours. We have to have factory farms to feed levels of population

[@DeepBlueWaves]

This is exactly true, from beef to olive oil.

[@samkinpommers4558]

Eric Patterson you’re believing the fiberati. The entire population can get the equivalent calories from 6-10% of the land currently used for industrial agriculture. Please plant a kitchen garden if you don’t have one.

[@Jraymiami]

Support your local farmers markets! ✊🏻

[@abnice1676]

Do your homework on the farmer markets some of their produce it's not their own this is not to scare you it's the truth

[@aplewis7346]

Damn right.

[@bitrudder3792]

ab nice Absolutely right, I always ask new vendors about their growing practices, the products they use, exactly what they feed their animals.

[@rockymountainman7]

Produce sold at farmers markets is quite often regular bulk bought at large wholesalers and sold at as premium and "organic" at farmers markets. Buyer beware!

[@madshorn5826]

@m. rude If your paycheck doesn't allow you to head the seasons of the real world your paycheck is too low. Unionize.

[@Crazysigi2013]

Ohh man. "These products feel better in your bones" 2:50 🤦🏼‍♂️ If it's not your Mum, it's not your milk. Check out Dr. Neil Bernard and his studies on dairy and health.

[@jwalker1159]

this guy is as full of baloney as pork sausage

[@bitrudder3792]

Some people only heal on animal foods, including raw milk. From other animals. Please don’t be dogmatic about what is and isn’t good for other people based on one viewpoint.

[@ArgentWind]

@@bitrudder3792 I call B.S.

[@shawshank6015]

No to vegan for me,

[@joanflemmingkendrick1107]

Goats milk closest to humam milk

[@HermanLabuschagne]

One day I was sitting in a meat production university class, being taught how to boost muscle production by implanting bovine growth hormones. And suddenly I had an epiphany. I realized in that moment, that this is fundamentally wrong in too many ways to describe. I had a similar reaction, over time, regarding other forms of forcing agricultural production by artificial means in crop production and food processing. And I remember wondering whether I was the only one in class that felt that way? I think I was. But at least there are others in different places and their numbers are increasing. And this man speaks for all of us. We should listen to what he says - and vote with our money wherever we shop for food.

[@jackfanning7952]

I entirely agree with what you say! I felt the same way in ag. college. Agriculture has become unbelievably more destructive with input-intensive, nutritionally-deficient industrial agribusiness. Central USA will become a desert and the topsoil will all be in the Gulf of Mexico in the lifetime of our children.

[@HermanLabuschagne]

@@jackfanning7952 the other thing that swung my mind was observing how our broiler chickens which were organically fed free range, till didn't appear to be real chickens. They would run 8 or ten paces and then have to sit down. Then run again, and sit down, and so on. They grew so fast, but they were biological freaks. It horrified me to think that we have bred these freaks of nature and are eating them. And I know it is much worse now than it was back then. Our civilization is heading for genuine trouble.

[@austing2481]

Yes yes yes. I totally agree with you just so long as you don’t rule out the ethical only meat eaters such as myself. It is all about where we put our money and if more people did choose to go vegan or buy ethically raised meat we wouldn’t have these problems. And it’s a damn shame at that that this is what we have come to as a planet. Trying to play god in the wrong damn way by boosting every food item with so many damn chemicals and hormones that If you actually knew you’d probably be disgusted by

[@donaldwatts9201]

My story: I Have been a diabetic for close to 10 years. About 5 years ago, I joined the Peace Corps moved to a (unnamed for political reasons) Balkan state. While I was there, I consumed non- GMO foods, since they followed the E.U. food standards. I became post diabetic. No more diabetes ! When I returned to the USA, after 3 months my diabetic symptoms came back. I can only attribute it to food. In the USA, the foods, have corn syrups, corn oils, animal feeds, etc.

[@DocZom]

Serious question: why don't you move back?

[@GsBBoyDan]

My left ear just went vegan.

[@vanlookjef7400]

i laughed more then I should have :)

[@OtherWorldLea]

I thought I was the only one! I thought my headphones were ruined haha

[@mateolondonocardona1659]

Hahahahaha I can agree with you

[@Sophia.]

Nice saying! :D Let the rest of your body follow, honestly, you won't regret it...

[@Jamielynn7336]

😂😂😂

[@luisp.cuellar619]

Thank you Alan Lewis for your courage and love to say the truth. God Bless you.

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks. Bless you too.

[@AustnSpace111]

Veganism, community gardens, whole plant foods, and love for all animals is the best path forward . 💙

[@aplewis7346]

Yup!

[@daviddawson1718]

Fuuuuuuuk a vegan,and i care for all my animals. They live good happy lives, and then I eat them.

[@AustnSpace111]

Much love to you,@@daviddawson1718. I don't think it's any coincidence that eating plant foods is the most compassionate way to eat along with the healthiest way to eat. You may not understand this yet but I believe you will one day. May I ask why you kill and eat your animals if you love them? Once you go just a few days without eating them you will understand that you never needed to. Then you will finally feel aligned in the way you live and eat. It will be beautiful. 💙

[@Dakkaroni]

@@AustnSpace111 plants can feel and hear too. Guess we should drink and eat air.

[@Grizzleback07]

You sound like a typical vegan. 🙄

[@LouxleyGunnis]

This message needs to be translated into every language on earth. Don`t think this is only happening in North America, This is a worldwide,insidious plan.

[@aplewis7346]

Let's get the word out!

[@gerardvaughan1847]

So lucky to happen upon a Talk by someone about a real issue - a very serious matter - and so well humoured. This is going on Facebook + Twitter !

[@aplewis7346]

THANKS

[@JillAnn99]

to me the easiest way to make it all so much better is to stop eating meat & dairy... I haven't eaten meat or dairy in over 15 years... we need to work on great healthy soil for our plants & trees & stop producing meat, if we want to get things back in control STOP EATING MEAT & DAIRY.

[@aplewis7346]

I hope you have seen the recent numbers on dairy demand. Consumers are turning away from milk products in favor of plant based dairy like almond, soy, rice and hemp. I see the same thing happening with meat. If you look at how meat is consumed in the US, many people are opting to eat smaller amounts less often. They choose meat from responsibly and humanely raised animals that improve the environment rather than using it as a big public toilet. I realize this does not address the philosophical objection to killing and eating animals. I don't know how that end can be met.

[@JillAnn99]

AP Lewis I too do see the moving away from dairy these last 5 to 10 years & it is a very good thing... people are realizing it takes way to much of their bodies energy to digest meat... we can get more benefits from plant food & let our bodies run so much better & serve us as it should be keeping meat out of our eating or a a very low amount... :) I am totally plant based & am so glad I made the change so many years ago... :)

[@kathypar1]

Almonds are sucking California dry. How's that for sustainable?!?

[@aplewis7346]

Urbin Fahmah I think that there are greater forces at work in California than almond groves drying out the earth. The drought may actually be related to the lack of precipitation, for instance, but scientists have yet to reach a conclusive consensus on the issue. Another suspected cause of water problems is the intense demand from urban centers and 50 years of pumping water from underground sources that do not replenish nearly as fast. If the draught is in fact caused by the almond trees, we should look into cutting them all down to end the drought. You should call your local extension agent and make this suggestion.

[@kathypar1]

Undoubtedly!! It's a whole host of accumulated issues over a long period of time that are wreaking havoc and the solutions are going to be as diverse and over an even greater period of time, likely. The demand for almonds has increased exponentially over the past decade because they are viewed as a health food and people need to understand that comes at a cost one way or another. Now, because almonds are worth so much farmers are opting to let the veggie crops go to save the almonds because there isn't enough water for both. What's that going to do to the veggie market? It's a cascading effect that will effect almost every plate in North America. People just need to understand the impact of their buying choices.

[@ancientonessanctuary1139]

Alan lewis. Prayers of grace on your truths. Thank you for your courage.

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks for that kind thought. Need it!

[@r.b.l.5841]

my wife and i moved out of our city 18 years ago onto 30 ac we started with egg layers (six) and quickly saw that we could not actually eat all those eggs, then we got meat chickens (different breed) then dual purpose hens then we got ducks and turkeys and geese and ring-necked pheasants and ginea hens and a couple of piglets now getting ready for our first beef-calf. We put in the freezer enough for our needs and sell off to family and close friends the balance and we are so happy and content. Every day i watch what my animals eat, knowing that is what my family will eat. Pretty simple really - don't feed them anything you don't want to be eating.

[@rudigerderudder5430]

R. B.L. Congratulations ! I’m so happy for you . Keep up the good work

[@r.b.l.5841]

@Jessica Hicking i hope you can Jessica, we took the step that we could do this in small (affordable) steps over a long period of time if that was the only way then we would do that. so when we started i would not have thought 18 years later we would still be taking the steps but here we are, and happier than ever. The final steps are to deal with power supply, and this one is a big one due to the cost of the parts and the big plunge we will be taking when we cut ties to the power grid, but we are getting there. my advice to you is to do what you can as you can, but always be moving in the direction you want to go. If the step is too big - like purchasing the plot of land you need - you can still do small steps like we did all those years ago - open a separate account and put $x.xx in it each and every paycheck date, so you are saving for the day you can buy your plot of land, do your homework on searching out where you will set up. Watch for stuff and items you will need that someone else is giving away ( i can't tell you how much stuff we got at yard sales, or just for free for the asking. Never give up on your plan, just do what you can as you can

[@r.b.l.5841]

@Jessica Hicking Those are great ideas, Jessica, my experience is to keep working at it, experiment a bit and be prepared to make changes, after all not everything will work out the way you intend or expect. If you can find a group in your area familiar with the land and what works (and what doesn't) ask them questions and learn all you can after all their wisdom will be free for the asking. And aside from a lot of negative stuff in the media, people are actually very helpful and polite with one another when you ask for some help.

[@lindamajka1308]

*Moringa Drought resistant trees .Some of them never get water & 25-40 ft they grow even in Asian countries where no other trees grow.These can supply all our basic needs while they heal & detoxify us & Planet -can support the world basic medical/food needs plus * We can grow in 100's of countries.*Moringa God's Miracle Tree! We're Blessed

[@lucianamclean1287]

Linda Majka hi

[@melanieevaldi7222]

Thanks man. Get it now before it goes corporate.

[@HeidiSue60]

And if this becomes a fad, entire ecosystems will be destroyed to grow this tree, to feed a fad in North America.

[@actualsurfer]

It wouldn't matter if we were gifted all of the trees we ever cut down and the earth were returned to its pre-man pristine state. The world is growing exponentially. Our needs double with our population. Each doubling means that we burn through more resources than the entirety of human civilization prior. We would simply expand into the windfall and be right back where we started.

[@ernestos1520]

This talk was incredible! There is real food war out there and everyone is affected one way or another.

[@kevinflynn1889]

End Speciesism. Go watch ''Dominion'' It changed my life.

[@aplewis7346]

Yep. We are all in this together, not all in this for humans.

[@carrieoff]

Cheers

[@parrotshootist3004]

Don't worry, we will be soon, human will be available on the shelf for cities and nations overpopulated by mass immigration relative to the farming they can do under the changing solar maunder minimum effects and potentional for national scaled farming under the changing global and corporate conditions massaged, in part, by such groups as 'global parliament of mayors'.

[@wpdrusky]

@@parrotshootist3004 it happens...Try not to think about it? Lol........

[@parrotshootist3004]

@@wpdrusky When life gives you lemons, make marinade and rub on liberally!? LOL

[@hitreset0291]

Video is nearly 5 years old and still relevant...if not more so now than in 2014.

[@mathieuvanleeuwen7127]

Uh, yeah, they won.

[@aplewis7346]

It's always a problem when a vidoe gets stale. I'm still pretty happy with this one. Lot's of new views, too.

[@PeterJames143]

It will remain relevant for decades

[@chatteyj]

@@PeterJames143 Its up to people to be more thoughtful when they food shop. Not much is more important than food so don't cheap out.

[@lat1419]

And 2021

[@deborahbowman2919]

Truth telling with a sense of humor that will keep you watching! Alan shares from the heart about what is happening to our food. A wholesome meal. .

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks Deb. Ironically, I covered so much so quickly it was a lot to chew on!

[@tinfoilcap]

Great job and keep exposing the fibberati. They are everywhere. Faved and thumbs up!

[@aplewis8508]

Thanks, Tomoko. I loved the audience laughter when I rubbed the Daaaark Maaaark on my forearm... That seemed to drive the point home.

[@Gesundheit888]

A P Lewis Actually, I did not get that Daark Maark on the forearm clue. Please explain.

[@MrCinagro]

Gittl G. Warning: some people find these images offensive! In the Harry Potter books, Lord Voldemort placed the Dark Mark brand on his followers' inner left forearms both as a sign of their loyalty to him and as a method of summoning them to him when he desired. harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Mark People of a certain age or who had kids of a certain age will remember the Dark Mark pretty much forever..

[@Gesundheit888]

MrCinagro Thank you!

[@paulitza9]

Thank you for sharing ...a brave thing you are doing ...

[@theresaslusher8126]

Start you backyard food gardens. And help a neighbor with starting one as well .

[@aplewis7346]

Or in my case a front yard garden, along with my neighbors. Pesticide free. Shared labor and tools. Shared harvest.

[@myothersoul1953]

I live on the upper floor of an apartment building so I don't have a backyard. But hey, people living in cities is a lot better for the environment than spread suburbs.

[@billdidit7790]

Hahaha, my neighbor won’t even mow his grass.

[@darthvader5300]

Learn about food and medicine independence from your great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents. Learn from the Amish and from the Native American Indians who still knows a lot of the old ways and write them down ON PAPER AND MICROFILM THEM ALL! Learn from the still independent South American, Mexican, and Asian farmers not dependent on corporations and write them all down on PHYSICAL PAPER AND MICROFILM THEM ALL. Learn from them all on how to make good soil, good food, good medicinal herbal pharmaceutical crops, and learn from them on how to inter-crop, double-plant, multi-altitude planting-cropping, and tree cropping combined into a single symbiotic self-helping farm. REVIVE YOUR WW II VICTORY GARDENS-FARMS AGAIN and this time make it PERMANENT AND FOREVER BY LAW! For that is your 4th Constitutional Right! Learn also on how to make your gardens-farms a self-contained/self-recycling farm.

[@darthvader5300]

People living in the cities is worse for the environment for HUMANS ARE ALSO PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM and lethal to the people for if something went wrong with the linkages between cities and farmlands, you cannot eat concrete and steel. Look at your history books about the Incas and the South Ameridian civilizations that flourishes in the millions because they were all spread out and practices intensive self-contained/self-recycling agriculture alongside with nature. In fact, one Spanish Chronicler once said about the Incas which has a population density of modern day Monaco in the mid-1960s, said "IN THAT LAND HUNGER DOES NOT EXISTS". And all of that existed before the existence of modern day agriculture. No GMOs, no hybrids, no agricultural chemicals, etc and the people, before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores, are healthy but the Spanish Conquistadores brought with them are European diseases that they are immune already but the Incas are not and at the same time the Spanish Conquistadores went face to face to new diseases and medical ailments to which they are not immune but only the Incas are immune to. The destruction of their civilization which is closely intertwined with agriculture and nature with the brutal Spanish conquest and lust for gold and silver almost destroyed their agricultural urban/rural knowledge but wise Spanish Missionaries Chroniclers immediately went to work to talk to them with an interpreter to write everything down and make as many copies as possible to share with each other and to be compiled together.

[@harmonyharris777]

Fantastic and informative speech regarding the tactic's of the Federal Death Administration! Thank you Alan, for exposing these activities, and for speaking from the heart! 😌🙏☀🌙✨

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks. I've got your back.

[@sclark9011]

FDA Federal Death Administration i like it!!! .....many a true word said in jest !!!

[@TheEmbrio]

He is talking about private companies buying out any competition or opposing voices, not leaving a choice to farmers or consumers.... and you equate it with a state-run program. Private huge companies are the problem not the few food safety federal’programs we still have left

[@babyarm718]

Thanks fpr explaining. Its about time they truly hear whats going on. "Because even those in the in will be out when not important anymore"

[@Markcgreer]

Food tastes different compared to when I was a kid. This decay in food quality is another way overpopulation is reducing our standard of living. The spike in real estate prices and demand for a high rise cubicle condo is another.

[@MasterofPlay7]

not to mention about the big gmo scandal that we are in now

[@aplewis7346]

Yep. A naturally raised hog yields a pork chop whose every bite is a revelation. (Sorry non meat folks!) A hog raised in a feedlot on ractopamine yields a tasteless mealy pig steak. You are not just being sentimental. There really is a difference between real and industrial food.

[@bela4787]

Check out Leach and Fairhead 'Misreading the African Landscape'. They basically refute the Malthusian notion of overpopulation. It's not a numerical or quantitative problem but rather an issue of how humans and communities relate, organise and produce.

[@30059686]

@Christopher Har V no need, just stopping the consumption of animal product will save us

[@dickhamilton3517]

Mark, I don't think its overpopulation, it's the industry and how it works.

[@carolvevle8190]

Good for you!! I feel faint! An honest man! Don't know many. I can not afford the expense of meat, nor would I want to. I am not a cannibal in any sense of the word!!!

[@ChristiansPrayingTogether]

I responded to this same comment on narc survivior but what is it doing here ?? And out of all the vids I watch what are the odds id stumble on this same comment on TED TALKS ?? TEDX - Super weird ...

[@sherijohnson5557]

It is sad where we have been led in our effort to find food and feed our families. It is time to step off the trail being set for us and support our Local Farmers, teach our children about food and how to grow it sustainably and take back our health. It will not be easy, but definitely our lives depend on it.

[@MrCinagro]

Thank you Sheri. There is so much inspiration right in our own neighborhoods. We can do this.

[@Bryt25]

So much for civilisation! I do recall being stunned some years ago watching a well-known movie about the life of African bushmen. Although living in a tough environment they only seemed to spend on average half a day 'working' ie: searching out and preparing food.

[@aplewis7346]

Bryt25 And they had no possessions, since relationships within the community defined their self worth. That may be a long way off for We Americans...

[@davidlomm4424]

I love this ! A few years back I read a story about a small, family owned Organic Dairy in America,... This little Dairy started a small, local Marketing Campaign & worked it. They built awareness in their town, their county, their state, their community about their grass fed, naturally grazed, organic Dairy Products. The result was regular Mothers went into the local Walmart & asked for the brand but it was not there,... They kept coming & they kept asking,... They kept telling management that they WANTED this brand, for their family ! It grew to the point that Walmart Purchasing dudes went to this little Dairy to look for a deal & the deal, eventually was good for the little Dairy :) The Walmart crew did their job & tried to screw the price down & I respect that,... That is their job but here's the thing,... That little Dairy created a market, a demand for their product to the point that Walmart came to them & paid THEIR price ! That doesn't happen ! I have been in Management for Walmart so I can tell you that the Walmart strategy is that they don't sell what YOU WANT (like most stores do) ... They sell you what they can buy well ;) I so much enjoyed finding this story because it taught me something & taught the giant something,... WE, the CONSUMER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE ! Australians are doing this NOW with Milk,... Sadly, Chinese companies are buying up Australian Dairies & selling their Milk under the generic store brand cheap but Aussies have started a Social Media campaign to buy form Locally Owned AUSSIE Dairy Farms & it is working :) Australians are posting pics on social media that show Australian Owned Local Dairy Milk is selling out in the stores even though it is 30% more expensive & Aussies are leaving the cheap, Chines owned stuff on the shelf :) I have never felt better about WE THE PEOPLE but we all talk about politics but never about our food,... Which is SHIT ! :( Also... A good point was the "less than 2%" thing,... Is it less than 2% TOTAL or less than 2% each ingredient ?

[@aplewis7346]

It's an odd fact of history that the man who did some of the worst damage to the American farm family and the American dairy industry was consumer advocate Ralph Nader. His crusade again raw milk and raw milk cheese ended a very important revenue stream for small producers, and stopped the reciruclation of cash within the rural economies. He confused local production and consumption of these products with what happens when they enter the national food distribution system. He was abetted by the Dairy Lobby.

[@davidlomm4424]

AP Lewis I live in Pennsylvania where I'm sure Raw Milk is still legal for private sale.

[@mayganphynix8267]

David Lomm what's gonna happen when that little dairy gets enough business and has to raise thousands of animals at a time to meet demand? ............factory farming. Many people who see footage of a slaughterhouse go vegan and wish they did It sooner, like me. Go Vegan and we will fix not all but many of the problems we face. If 6 billion (ish) people keep eating meat and animal products, we will keep having this problem. Help Reduce the demand by going vegan.

[@0sters]

Only in US this happens the most. No other country has industrialized food so much to an extreme level resulting in extreme obesity, diabetes, heart disease and so on. If your food is packed in plastic wrapper or box with a shelf life, it means it is unworthy for your health.

[@carolynbrown3379]

I shared this on FB even though I know it will be ignored.

[@melanieevaldi7222]

Ignorance is just as guilty as the corporations.✌

[@wpdrusky]

Me too

[@myothersoul1953]

@@melanieevaldi7222 Yes it is. So how much better are so called "organic foods" ? All these "natural" and "organic" labels really mean is it will cost you more. It doesn't mean it will be healthier or that the growing process is better for the environment. The natural food industry, the various corporations that make it up, don't have you or the planets best interest in mind but they would like you to think they do.

[@melanieevaldi7222]

@@myothersoul1953 I'm no expert on the topic but I try to learn some things about the foods I consume. Nor do I purchase all organic or natural products because I know most of it is not what they claim. Since I learned several years ago that the rain forests were being destroyed to raise cattle that just didn't sit right with me at all. Then I had seen videos of how live stock were being mis treated and there is absolutely no reason for that either. What I have been doing slowly over the past years is changing my diet to my beliefs and I feel many people are doing the same. I try my best to purchase items with the least amount of waste, eat more fruit and vegtables, recycle and reuse. It's extremely difficult to find reputable companies and farms so I'm happy that people are beginning to speak up because if we don't our food will get worse every year. With some items I go by looks. If a potato is gynormus then I know thats not normal. I'm just a girl in this amazing world doing the best I can for myself and nature.✌

[@myothersoul1953]

@@melanieevaldi7222 I think your approach is good. I avoid foods marketed as organic, natural (what's not?) or gluten free because I think it's a scam. I will buy local produce straight from the farmer, specially ripe tomatoes. I'll spend $4 for a fresh ripe tomato, they're so yummy. I was lucky, my family grew about 50% of what we ate. I know what's it's like to sell produce by the roadside. Now I'm unlucky because I knew how fresh tastes but I live far from our farm. Organic or not, fresh is rarely available. Fresh food also a luxury, in a world with 7,500,000,000 persons there is no way everyone can eat without mass agriculture. Anything I eat that takes more resources, land, water or nutrients cuts down on what is available for others. So, like you, I try to live as lightly as I can on this planet. My goal is to have as little impact as possible.

[@govardhanv926]

To all comments readers ,it's time to learn from India onces again how dairy industry works in India in all matter likelocal milk sellers ,no hormones, no pesticides , fertilizers , no separation of cow n calf ,greazing on postores ,no beef producing industry, large scale dairy's ,

[@aplewis7346]

So, no Trader Joe's to buy almond milk from?

[@DocZom]

Broken down to the basics: corporate greed. The same presentation can be made about any thing we consume. Once upon a time, a corporation had to be chartered by an act of a legislature. It could only exist for a specific purpose, and that purpose had to be in the public interest. That corporation could operate for only a specific period of time, and it then had to seek recharter. That was the way corporations worked when the Constitution was written. Pull out your copy of the Constitution and look how many times you will find the word "corporation." I will save you time: not once. So how did we arrive to a time when corporations have constitutional rights?

[@TnMtnRdr]

Grow our own food, take back our choices and take control of our own health. Greenhouse agriculture is where we can make a difference. And using in them nutrient dense toxic free methods of growing fresh food. I've been hunting for years for solution to running greenhouses cheap, finally found what I was hunting for in the most unexpected place, right under our nose and we failed to recognize it.

[@curtis7595]

Let's actually use science to our benefit, not for deception.

[@anthonyman8008]

I'm with you!

[@jamessheridan4306]

When the science falls into corporate hands it all becomes about profits. There's no other consideration.

[@mightywind7595]

I live in Wisconsin, lots of family farms here. I know a farmer that was about to pay off his farm after many years of hard work, then the government came in and said we found 1 endangered bird on your property and you need to do a bunch of remodeling and property changes or you will lose your farm. We are talking 100,000 dollars or more. Why would farmers want to try anymore with the way they are being treated? We have a few of those huge commercial farms too, and they have been accused of polluting the water supply. The family farms won’t be here for long if we don’t do something.

[@excatholic6392]

This guy, Alan Lewis is awesome. That's why everyone is lactose intolerant nowadays!

[@hankjr1571]

ex catholic amen, that is exactly why!!!. I was born in 1980. I grew up drinking milk, but now I can't enjoy milk because of the pain it causes me. Science is more of a curse tan a blessing. Leave our food alone. God made our food perfect, but since men have started modifying it through science we are becoming intolerant to the very substances that are meant to sustain life.

[@aplewis7346]

I agree with you, of course.

[@letitia4423]

I am glad that I live in a country where the majority of animals are grass fed... However, like most countries we too have a rising population of obesity, cancer, diabetes, Dementia and so on... I strongly believe that this is due to our food and water being pumped with harmful chemicals.. What I find very interesting is that certain indigenous peoples of the Amazon live solely on a plant based diet and yet they have very few (or none at all) of our western dis-eases... They are obviously doing something right... A good read is 'One Spirit Medicine' by Alberto Villoldo..

[@jjgrey1488]

Whatever God you believe in I'm hoping he blesses this truth-telling man...

[@autumnicleaf]

There's only One God; you and I aren't created by 2 different entities.

[@SASA00391]

@@autumnicleaf the GOD is one but peoples use many names 😁

[@SASA00391]

Amen to that

[@Avicena-tf5uj]

Best ted talk I’ve seen. Finally one about a meaningful aim and message

[@aplewis7346]

Funny how it baked here on low for five years, and is just now suddenly starting to rise in the bundt pan.

[@aplewis7346]

I want to publicly thank the vegan community for speaking up here. While my focus is on improving human and animal welfare in agriculture (from the low point we are at now), it's helpful to consider the role animals ought to have or not have in feeding humans. BUT, there is always a BUT, we need to take the conversation to the next logical step: if we were to no longer consume animal products, we have to reimagine the future. Here's a question for you (feel free to disagree with the question, too): 1. Two thirds of Earth's agricultural land will not support food crops. It only supports grass and forage, and in some places it supports very little. These grasslands have evolved with ruminant herds. The herds break up the topsoil, spur regrowth of plants, break down ingested plant matter into usable energy and protein, and return the fertile manure to the soil. The cyclical sloughing of deep roots creates topsoil. Topsoil aborbs water to mitigate drought and flooding, and provides habitat for a myriad of life forms to live and grow symbiotically. Top soil sequesters massive amounts of atmospheric carbon. So it appears that ruminants, soil organisims, wildlife, pedators and grassland are here to stay -- if humans are here to stay. We can't remove the ruminants, and their grazing patterns have to be managed. They will die from diseases, old age, or predators. Finally, if we don't consume animals and animal products, we may need many fewer humans on the planet. And in areas where crops can't be grown at all, we may need no humans at all. Not a trick question: how would we manage this?

[@aplewis7346]

bueller? bueller?

[@davidadcock3382]

I agree with your post. Good job. Reading your other posts I don't think you know anything about gmo technology and why farmers around the world are using gmo technology. I have been a farmer all my life born and raised on the farm with all my income always coming from the farm. Today I am a 67 year old semi retired farmer recovering from knee replacement. I am very surprised how little people know about gmo technology and the many lies and misinformation they spread. Good luck and again nice post.

[@PeterC3400]

CAFOs, Alan: Concentrated Fruit Lot Operations! Seriously, I understand about the problem of unusable farm land. That's merely an engineering challenge. Plenty of solutions already exist that can get us started in the right direction. The FIRST step is just finally accepting the FACTS that meat really IS murder and really IS the cause of so much death and disease. People decried solar energy as ineffective because there isn't enough room for giant solar power stations. Now, however, the technology has evolved so we can cost-effectively put them on our OWN rooftops. Vertical farming is starting to prove itself in a similar fashion. [Vegan] nerds to the rescue!

[@rykbrown1893]

I couldn't disagree with you more. Meat heals; plants kill. Carbs and sugar are addictive poisons. We are omnivores in order to survive when meat is scarce. Plants were never meant to be our primary source of fuel, but we flipped the script thousands of years ago, and have been paying the price in poor health ever since. If we weren't forcing populations to eat mostly plants, think about how much more land would be available for grazing? And grazing improves the quality of the land.

[@sacredthyme4617]

Incredible video, I need to re-watch this again now.

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks!

[@billschwerin3342]

Sacred Thyme

[@ziggy33399]

Wonderful speaker, wonderful talk. Thank you thank you thank you. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@Vkush_MidWest]

Been vegan for 3 years and feeling great!! And helping the environment

[@actualsurfer]

What are you helping it do?

[@SeanDiego]

I respect your choice and see the pros of it but keep in mind plants are very much alive too

[@actualsurfer]

@@SeanDiego A few different points. 1. Plants don't run away when you try and eat them. 2. Plants produce seeds, fruit and other rewards that are designed to be eaten as part of their strategy for survival. 3. Given 1 and 2, our decisions should be founded in morality the principle of 'least harm possible'

[@SeanDiego]

@@actualsurfer great points and let me preface this by this is not a personal attack on anyone choosing to do what they want because you nor I created what we currently live in. With that being said, everything here on this planet, mostly at least, eats something to sustain itself. Plants not running isn't a counter to them not wanting to be eaten. There are many animals that don't run from humans. Morality is based on the individual. To each their own, you.. nor I.. will be the ones to judge another at the end of their path. Also, in case you are not familiar, look into blood types and what that actually means on a molecular level in which we convert anything in our gut to mechanical energy. Ty and blessings

[@sclark9011]

there is a groundswell that is trying to monetise carbon and methane by demonising herbivores and trying to impose a fart tax saying cows cause global warming lets tax em !!! animals bad= global warming kill animals = less global warming eat plants= no global warming......no violence now humans will fart more !!!! what now??? kill humans???? kill greed??? or just politicians???

[@exoticivy4180]

Right on!!! Agreed!! Love this talk! 👍🏼😁❤️

[@BV-jq2vg]

As far as dairy, we export the majority of the dairy products we produce, so while this is a touching TEDx for an American citizen, and you might be willing to pay “a couple cents” more for organic pasture milk(more like double the price), the rest of the world isn’t. If the dairy industry completely changes to serve US citizens and says “well we’ll just mark up every gallon of milk by 25%” and meanwhile we lose half of our exports in China and Mexico to Australia and New Zealand, then we made a terrible mistake. Want dairies to change? We will when other countries do. BTW, China, Russia, Dubai, Turkey, all proud owners of mega dairies milking over 30,000 (per facility). We’re just doing what they do.

[@aplewis7346]

The world is flat. Try selling Iowa organic aronia berries when Poland offers them for half price, delivered. Try selling US grassfed beef when JBS Marfig is importing suspect "gass fed" meat from Brazil and is legally able to label it "Product of USA". No easy fix, but it has to be done. I wish you could still easily sell raw dairy products to local markets. That was a lifesaver revenue stream for small dairies for a hundred years.

[@DocZom]

Imagine a US corporation being concerned about the public good instead of next quarter's profits. Heresy !

[@rathkhan1114]

Alan you spoken the truth man. Great Video

[@tikunani]

This is American style agri-industry he’s talking about, here in the EU we have regulations against most of these kind of practices.

[@kristinlove6324]

Awesome!! So Happy that the OCA put this Link in their Newsletter that will reach MILLIONS of People's In-boxes.....now they will hopefully click on it and spend 12 Minutes listening to your well thought out and researched Talk. I like the *pops* of humor, it keeps things interesting. My father, who was a great pubic speaker and teacher, always said to "tell stories and add humor", it helps folks from drifting and daydreaming. GREAT TED TALK>>>>>THANK YOU!! ps....I'm already doing my part, but I can always do more, by buying almost 100% Organic, as local as I can when I can and I'm almost Vegan. :-)

[@MrCinagro]

Passionate people tend to bark. And bark and bark. TED talks are designed to make people distill to the essence. But then it's too dense (something my friends have gently pointed out is true of this Fibberati talk). A group of us spent two months addressing the question of openness and authenticity, and how humor is essential to engaging an audience (whether you convince them of anything or not). When trying to change the framing of an issue, to change the point of view, to create the Oh Aha moment, it's good to use the kind of humor where one punch line is expected but another altogether different one is delivered. Related to this, when you drop the grenade of feeding sick "Elsie the cow" to our kids, you really need some comic relief to counterbalance that unhappy fact. Elsie wearing Che's beret seemed just the trick. Thanks for the kind note.

[@ziggy33399]

I met a man who owns probably the largest (or one of the largest) dairy farms in the eastern U.S. We’ve all bought his products (unless you’re vegan). He has housed slaves , illegal immigrants-for GENERATIONS! If one gets “out of line” he simply pays a visit to the house...they’re all afraid of deportation so he never has a problem more than once. The cows have a deplorable existence. I’d go into it but it still makes me sick. He’s very proud, he thought I was someone I’m not. Yes, he’s a billionaire as a result..successful in his own head. I smiled with my wine glass in hand as he truly, really, saw only his own successes as brilliant, genius and great. We are not who we necessarily think we are.

[@aplewis7346]

Google FairLife Dairy video. It will turn your stomach.

[@ziggy33399]

AP Lewis you know I can’t . I joined PETA but can’t watch any of the videos. WAY too sensitive! 🙏🏽 thanks though. I realize there are those that need to see graphic “in your face” things...but I’m no one. 🤢

[@fire7side]

I live in Wisconsin with dairy farms all around me and this guy is the fiberatti. The cows are always out in green pastures and go in at milk time.

[@aplewis7346]

Come see dairy cows in Colorado in August.

[@fire7side]

@@aplewis7346 So, we should punish everyone for the people who don't treat their animals properly? All those people who treat those animals humanely and make a living? I'm always curious about people that use that type of scorched earth solution. How did they grow up? I remember in classrooms in school where a teacher would take privileges from the entire class because someone he/she didn't know broke a rule.

[@sclark9011]

@@fire7side it only takes one moron to phukitupp for the rest of us !!! we are the ones punished not him.

[@CatrionaOG]

wow...thank you. i live with progressive secondary MS . I believe we ,myself included have chosen our ego over everything else and that is why we torture animals and are are dying from weird things because of our selfish choice. grateful for your talk.==

[@aplewis7346]

I meet with a lot people struggling with auto-immune disorders. Step one is always about removing contaminants and toxins from the food supply, body care, and household products. Ten years ago there was almost no science on the role of the gut biome (and animal biome) on healthy and disease. In 2016 alone there were 14,000 published studies. We are finding out what our grandparents knew: if you poison the environment and the food that comes from it, your body will respond accordingly. Watch for new studies directly linking biome damage with particular diseases, because therapies will follow closely behind them.

[@hamishmoodie7733]

All dairy products we love can be made with organic HEMP seeds not mention all the other nuts and seeds..and they all taste so much better

[@birgittabirgersdatter8082]

Hamish Moodie without all the nutrients though.

[@hamishmoodie7733]

Bridgette, HEMP seeds are way more nutritious than any animal based foods..look it up, do some research

[@PeterJames143]

Hemp? Come on. Good for making rope. And sails. Overrated as food.

[@hamishmoodie7733]

@@PeterJames143 Try it

[@0sters]

Unless if these type of alternate foods are not Mass produced. Else it adds to all the industrial farming hazards like chemical sprays, fertilizers, deforestation and we then again come back with the same environmental impact. You need organic farming to save the planet, else no point in promoting veganism or vegetarianism or any modern healthy diet.

[@maputoplanthirefletcher963]

A friend of mine has a feedlot. He feeds his beef cows antibiotics, growth hormones and anything sweet or fattening. The beef that he sells is pink in colour and tender. Pasture-fed beef cows, beef is not as pink looking. Judging by the colour alone , which beef would you pick up, if you were shopping in a supermarket.

[@aplewis7346]

Different tastes and textures and marbling depending on breed, age, feed, and pasturing. I'll skip the hormones and antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is the number one threat to our species (and to livestock producers).

[@dr10foxXx]

They are doing this in every aspect of our lives.... every day they creep in and get bigger and we suffer. It's time to take our planet back!

[@iwashere2370]

DRXFoxXx you are they

[@dr10foxXx]

@@iwashere2370 if you really knew who I am..... that would be the funniest thing you ever said.

[@iwashere2370]

DRXFoxXx who are you? An active protestor?

[@dr10foxXx]

@@iwashere2370 When i woke up: Left a career in high finance that was surrounded by materialism, politics, liars and cheaters Pulled my teenage son out of the indoctrination of the education system Gave up meat and materialism Still spiritual but dropped my catholic faith And more Many in my generation are realising the delusion spoon fed us as we grew up. We need more spirituality and less greed to fight the good war. Until people can no longer be bought, it will be a long war.

[@iwashere2370]

DRXFoxXx so who are you now, what do you do. Or is this it?

[@daletinafloyd8284]

Wonderful points, thank you! Our health and lives depend on us finding local Organic Farmers who keep their soil rich and healthy, so that the plants and animals they produce are fully nutritious. Mega-organic Farming on depleted soil is the other fraud that is in progress.

[@lasobaranch9994]

such a good way to transmit the message, great talk congrats

[@aplewis7346]

Gary Mitchell, I can't find your latest comment, so new thread here. Let's be clear that I spend most of my waking hours defending the interests of farmers and explaining to consumers how their interests coincide. My family farmed for 200 years in North America until western Kansas finally beat us. Our economy has preyed on agrarian communities for our entire history, now the consequences are coming to a head. Not just the loss of the mythical family farm, but the loss of insects, wildlife, and human health. I maintain that farmers and consumers want the same thing, to fix this, but the global ag interests are doing everything they can to keep us antagonistic towards each other. I don't judge farmers choices. I judge their lack of choices.

[@rlogerq]

Wow! I loved this video. Makes perfect sense.

[@moniquevamado]

So important! I especially like the clever ending of "Good night and good luck."

[@aplewis7346]

Ah, a student of history. Thanks for noticing!

[@OnlineMD]

We need laws that force the food industry to pay for our health insurance/care.

[@rudigerderudder5430]

Raja Bhat you do understand who makes the law and for what they make those right? You seem to be old enough to know they are not here to serve us.

[@evelynzation]

I’m a vegan. If I were to buy eggs, it would be from a local farmer growing hens in healthy pastures. For my cholesterol levels to remain low, I choose no animal products of any kind.

[@aplewis7346]

Brilliant!

[@65wotring]

People do have the choice to eat "organic", "sustainable"...whatever you care to call it. Fact is these practices are less economical, less efficient (more of an environmental strain), and don't produce a healthier product. Promote "better" farming practices and the purchase of their goods but don't try to turn it into a war against those that are producing more food on less land with less waste.

[@aplewis7346]

Great question, and one I deal with often. I have never seen scientific data or made personal observations that show industrial agricultural systems to be more efficient or environmentally responsible than other systems. Every independent review of the science shows that fence-to-fence mono culture, a system dependent on genetic engineering and herbicides, in turn requires large amounts of chemical fertilizers to replace nutrients in the soil, and pesticides to control diseases that rapidly spread among thousands of miles of genetically identical plants. There are two arguments for the industrial efficiency you are describing. It is true the chemical companies that sell the seeds, the herbicides, the fertilizers and the pesticides find it very *efficient* to have created agricultural systems whose farms are entirely dependent on purchases of their products. They have effectively captured the profit from every input to the system, while leaving all the risk with the farm family. Similarly, the chemical companies find it *efficient* to offload many of the costs of their agricultural systems so they are not accounted for in the market price of the crops. Taxpayer subsidies to fund research at our formerly public land grant research colleges? Government payouts to large producers? Loss of medically important antibiotics due to over use? Fertilizer and pesticide pollution of land, waterways and oceans? The slow demise of robust rural population centers? The end of research on important crop varieties required by competing systems? All of these are costs borne by the American public in one way or another. Instead, they should be responsibly managed and accounted for by the conglomerates in question. The worship of industrial efficiency has a long and sordid history. It is usually a code for profit at the expense of working families, political participation and the environment. My farmer friends who have got caught up in the efficient industrial systems operated by the big chemical conglomerates often feel like their families are *indentured* to the system. The promises of higher yields and lower labor costs may have came true for a short period of time, but the hard costs of technology agreements and endless chemical inputs have offset any increase in profit -- let alone the American dream of independence and choice. Farmers everywhere are opting out. A new specialized field in agricultural consulting is how to transition out of GMO-based cropping systems and rebuild "sterile GMO chemical carrier dirt" into fertile soils that can be reinvigorated each year through cover crops, grazing, animal manure, crop rotation and other tried and true methods. The new approach is looking for efficiency over the long run, so a healthy productive farm is an attractive business and lifestyle for the next generation. I would say that's a pipe dream, except that it is happening all around us across the nation every day. Cheers.

[@aplewis7346]

***** This is a well documented phenomenon in the developing world. Yes, you should Google it. There is no safety net, no cash reserves, no insurance, no public emergency fund. If a farmer invests in new high-cost technology and the crop yields fail, there is no way for him to dig out of the financial hole created by the unpaid loans. GMO sales tactics have greatly compounded this problem, which preceded GMO's. It's one thing to be skeptical and dismissive of a comment, but I have never seen anyone get away with disrespecting the plight of farmers in this country or any other. It is the highest risk and most variable-return occupation there is. We should not be introducing all-or-nothing expensive technology when the result of failure is catastrophic for the farmer and his family. Peace out.

[@65wotring]

"Similarly, the chemical companies find it efficient to offload many of the costs of their agricultural systems so they are not accounted for in the market price of the crops. Taxpayer subsidies to fund research at our formerly public land grant research colleges? Government payouts to large producers?" --I am confused because in one post you seem against farming subsidies and in the very next you are saying " I have never seen anyone get away with disrespecting the plight a farmers in this country or any other. It is the highest risk and most variable-return occupation there is. We should not be introducing all-or-nothing expensive technology when the result of failure is catastrophic for the farmer and his family" Which is it? These very government subsidies are what could minimize the financial risk of farming but their government should do it but not ours? Failure is always a risk of starting any business. Fortunately we live in an environment where it isn't "do-or-die". It is hard to speak of a companies financial policies or a foreign governments economic policies. It seems like we are getting of the important topic of safe or not safe to consume. I suggest bringing these questions and any other GMO based questions to gmoanswer.com, it is an open forum with experts that can address specific questions with experimental findings and fact.

[@65wotring]

Verity Grace Turner FYI, top 5 results when you google "Indian farmers suicide GMO" rt.com/news/206787-monsanto-india-farmers-suicides/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmers%27_suicides_in_India io9.com/the-gmo-mass-suicides-are-a-myth-1565342067 www.seattleorganicrestaurants.com/vegan-whole-foods/indian-farmers-committing-suicide-monsanto-gm-crops/ blogs.discovermagazine.com/collideascape/files/2014/01/GMOsuicidemyth.pdf So have you googled this issue??? No offense to the organic restaurants of Seattle but all of the sources that are somewhat credible go against your point or are just stating the theory.

[@aplewis7346]

Eric Wotring Subsidies is too general a word, so let's dice it. Originally, there was no problem of excess farm production. With the introduction of mechanized farming and hybrid varieties, farms went from feeding 15 other people to 65 (although some of this jump is also due to slightly larger farms). Excess production was encouraged during WWI, then caused surpluses and price drops afterwards. One early government "subsidy" was for the government to buy excess grain from the farmer and store it on the farm in a sealed "Ever Normal Granary". This help farmers maintain prices temporarily until demand balanced over the following 1-2 years. Earlier voluntary programs were built on similar principles, but many farmers gamed the system and sold into the market before the time they were supposed to. Oddly, the farm commodity and price support system still refers to the prices that prevailed in 1900 - 1914. This was a time when demand adequately exceeded supply and the weather cooperated to produce abundant yields. Thus the inflation adjusted minimum price used today is still in parity with these golden years of agriculture. Unfortunately, it is all to common that farmers cannot achieve these baseline comparative "parity" prices. Farming history is a cycle of good years and bad. Subsidies used in the most general way are designed to ensure that viable farm producers can weather price drops in the bad years, since they have not control over the national and international factors that affect the prevailing price. Note that subsidies are different from insurance, which support farms due to crop failure from bad weather, drought, disease, etc. The Great Depression brought and the Dust Bowl brought another long term crisis to American farmers. Prices dropped as impoverished families went without. When Roosevelt took office in April, 1933, he immediately set to work creating all of the programs that came to be called the New Deal. One of the earliest of these programs was the AAA, or Agricultural Adjustment Administration. The law that created the AAA attempted to charge a tax on wholesalers to pay farmers not to grow too much food. The Supreme Court agreed with the wholesalers that this was unfair, so Roosevelt instead paid the farmers directly to plant non-food cover crops like clover and soy to restore nutrients in soil and keep it in place. The AAA had limited effect on supporting prices. It also generated a great deal of anger when millions of hogs and other livestock were killed and destroyed to support prices, at the same time Americans were starving and desperate for food. Eric, I know you did not ask for a history lesson, but I needed to get to this point to answer your question. The Ever Normal Granary and (to a lesser extent) the AAA programs made sense or were at lease understandable and transparent. There is a problem and a solution, applied to all farmers fairly, and there is a observable effect. Now, take a look at these statistics on our current farm subsidy programs: $292.5 billion in subsidies 1995-2012. $177.6 billion in commodity subsidies $53.6 billion in crop insurance subsidies. $38.9 billion in conservation subsidies. $22.5 billion in disaster subsidies. 62 percent of farms in United States did not collect subsidy payments - according to USDA. *Ten percent collected 75 percent of all subsidies*. Amounting to $178.5 billion over 18 years. Top 10%: $32,043 average per year between 1995 and 2012. Bottom 80%: $604 average per year between 1995 and 2012. The US government is subsidizing the production costs of the largest corporate farmers, who in turn compete using lower prices against the smallest farmers. When people rail against Big Ag and Big Food, this is the kind of manipulation of government regulation they are referring to. There is a role for government intervention in American agriculture. It is not to transfer land and wealth to ever bigger operators by giving them preferential advantages.

[@birgitschenk9663]

The cows are not only sick, but most likely also pregnant, because in order to keep the milk production high, the cow will get insaminated after she had a calf, which is nine month. So when the cow goes to slaughter, the little calf in her womb will suffocate to death excrutiatingly. 😪

[@aplewis7346]

I get your point, but it would be rare for a producer to kill a cow that is pregnant.

[@jjai471]

"When the animal is harvested....." ??? What a nice way of saying "slaughtered". Animals aren't crops planted by farmers and they're certainly not "harvested".

[@aplewis7346]

Agreed. Let's say murdered and eviscerated.

[@aplewis7346]

Lions, leopards, hyenas, coyotes, wildcats get to harvest.

[@nvader88]

This is truth. I've been red pilled, and now my family and friends laugh at me when I talk about Organic, GMO's, Corporate Socialist control of our food, etc. We have to break this Corporate Grocery, corporate restaurant, model, and go back to local food, and local, community eateries, or just staying home and cooking for ourselves, as families. Joel Salatin is a great guy to follow, and books to read!!!!

[@aplewis7346]

Coming soon is a book I helped edit and contributed to: The Great Healing. Ill post a link here once it is available online for sale. (I earn no revenue btw). I think it reflects your sentiments.

[@aplewis7346]

Red Pilled. Tell me more. It's a great turn of phrase.

[@pathofinspiration]

the FOOD monopoly has made this TEDx silent. There is no volume.

[@aplewis7346]

This happens a couple of times a year. I beat them off with a stick and the volume comes back on.

[@alsdjfknbo]

The sound worked for me

[@jrgee173]

At 6:08 that was in central California Fresno area leaving Sacramento going south down i5 towards LA

[@aplewis7346]

lolz

[@dehilster]

Dairy is bad for us no matter how it is produced.

[@alwaessurius8498]

Only cows milk - but cream is good for butter, etc, it is more digestible. But even a newborn baby can drink goats milk - and was the choice if a Mother died in labor, or did not have milk. A baby anything but a calf, will die on cows milk, but not so for goat's milk.

[@1963JamesT]

the problem with no pasture, is eastern states can graze 2 or more cows per acre, in arid western states, it may take as many as 75 acres to graze one cow. imagine rounding up 100 cows, twice per day for milking, when they are spread over 7 thousand acres....

[@aplewis7346]

It's often not compatible to do dairy at scale on dryland ranches in the west for the reasons you mention. Those herds are moved daily to new pastures far from the dairy barn.. But those that feed hay cut elsewhere still need to pasture the animals when not being milked. Check out American Grassfed Association 100% grassfed dairy standard, which has many operations successfully following these methods. Organic Valley also has a 100% grassfed line of milk.

[@Ontheedgepromotions]

Nice talk Alan. Tough topic told in an engaging way. Well done!

[@MrCinagro]

Thanks. I was given nine minutes, needed fifteen, made it to twelve and a half. Great experience.

[@ancientfern2693]

God. I'm so sick of hearing about the poor farmers. Businesses die, deal with it. Adapt or disappear.

[@aplewis7346]

They don't adapt or die, they get bigger and more distanced from the consequences of their actions.

[@michaelkakert6645]

Our enemies always do the Trojan Horse routine, and we always fall for it with the Peace & Love farce to shame us into capitulation.

[@actualsurfer]

Because it is your SLAVERY that they are after. Peace and Love is not the opposite of Slavery. The opposite of Slavery is Sovereignty - Liberty - Freedom...Forming the foundation based on Self-Love and making it possible to love others and wage peace.

[@bobbietriplett5569]

very well put!!!!!!! good job my man.

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks B-Trips!

[@mydear6788]

I m gonna be a farmer and grow everything that I can...my kids will learn everything and eat healthy.

[@swedensy]

Any human with an ability of compasion and empathy would go Vegan.

[@jackfanning7952]

Jesus ate fish. Was He compassionate and empathetic?

[@janesmith8676]

Who said Jesus was perfect

[@swedensy]

@@jackfanning7952 Im not from USA i dont know who is jesus. But i heard many fairy tales abou fishing trips.

[@calthyechild]

Veganism isn't the answer. Even if you do it perfectly, animal products still went into the vehicles that transport the food, it's impossible to be cruelty free and eat any food. I know I've accidentally killed a couple of bugs while gardening this year... Everyone doing a bit more will change things, though. Eat LESS animal products, grow MORE of your own food. I'm not vegan but all of our meat comes from a local farm where we could go and meet the meat and be confident they're living happy lives in fields rather than coops. It costs more, so we just choose to eat less meat from a source we're happier with, and grow as many of our own additional foods as possible. Bit by bit, my life has improved in compassion and quality. I got there by taking small steps at a time. Maybe someday I'll be a full blown vegan; I suspect I won't, but I assume that the decrease in impact because I am growing food/eating non-packaged foods grown locally will help contribute in a positive fashion too. No one's perfect, but if we meet each other where we are with an attitude oriented towards improving ourselves and our society with grace and compassion for all, we'll get there. When I was a kid I knew of almost no vegans, now I know several, and many more vegetarians. :) It's obviously spreading. I hope it's not too little too late.

[@JimBCameron]

No they wouldn't but if such a simplistic binary world view helps you sleep at night then so be it.

[@MegF142857]

One of those stores is near me... so going to check them out. Thanks Alan Lewis. Great Ted talk.

[@freedomdove]

What an excellent presentation!

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks Dove!

[@WORKOUTRUTINEOOPP]

If it weren't for people like you( that fight for our rights to know what is in the food )many of us would have never known the truth.

[@aplewis7346]

Thanks Daisy!

[@markhouck5258]

I Like This Guy, Thank You For Sharing

[@semtech30]

I planted 2 separate organic veg. gardens last year in 2 different locations. Approx. 20ft.x40ft. rectangle. pretty much left it to do it's natural thing. I yielded about 30 % of the poor produce. The rest fell victim to insects, weather conditions, and moulds. I am sure thankful for large commercial operations who have the means to produce large healthy volumes so I can get the extra of what I need from the store. All that weeding, watering and hoeing all for NOT. Talk is cheap!

[@michaelklukowski671]

www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/ i'm not sure I would call them healthy volumes

[@aplewis7346]

Sorry about that organic garden. What a huge disappointment. For readers here who would like some quick background, the fundamental principle behind organic agriculture is building soil health. Healthy soil is an intricate web of interrelated bugs, fungus, bacteria, roots, worms, algae, and goop that together store nutrients and convert them into usable food when plants need it to grow. Healthy soil also sponges up water to mete out during the dry months, and can sequester large amounts of carbon it its humus. In an organic environment, wildlife, insects, birds and bugs come into a balance that allows food crops to grow largely unmolested by pests and with minimum inputs. That's the holy grail, anyway. In practice, a farmer will try to get most of these things right while outwitting the weather and whatever the farmer next door is spraying into the wind. In any system, farming remains one of the most complicated and high risk businesses there is. You literally bet the farm every season, hoping all the things out of your control will work in your favor. The gummint has tried a number of schemes to reduce the risk -- increasing purchases of grains for storage to manage demand, price supports, exports, and insurance to name a few. These help soften the landing in a bad year, but they won't make up for several bad years in a row. It takes three years to transition soil into an organic system, and that's just to get the chemicals out of it. It may take quite a bit longer to rebuild a healthy soil and supporting ecosystem. Conventional agriculture, including GMO systems, tend to view the soil merely as a carrier for chemical inputs. Soil receives water, fertilizer and seed. Soil holds the roots in place while the plant grows on the nutrients in the fertilizer. But when herbicides and pesticides are applied continually, the soil structure is damaged. Bacteria, bugs and biomass die off, so the soil system cannot produce its own usable nutrients for growing plants. This is the beginning of chemical dependence. My friend Sem is correct when he states that big chemical based monoculture crop systems seem a lot more productive and reliable. As long as we can afford to use fossil fuels to make fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides to keep the system fueled (literally) for growth, he may be right. The long term goal of organic agriculture is to prepare the nation for the inevitable decline of fossil fuels. I think the good news is that organic systems run better at smaller scale, so they will like support family farms and return families to productive and rewarding rural lifestyles. I am betting these salt-of-the-earth folks will form the backbone of the Resistance.

[@Bryt25]

A worthy attempt! Probably better to support organic producers anyway Vs gardening costs, and show the finger more significantly to the fake food industry.

[@yoso585]

Oh .... so many claim a freewill, but fail miserably.

[@pedrojmorais]

Freewill is a lie to acuse us all, conditionedwill is all there is.

[@toddlavigne6441]

the question now is can we produce all this food the proper way and not have it cost 10x as much. Most people are struggling these days with living expenses.

[@flyinghighagain7712]

12:06 notice how something was chopped out.

[@megansmith480]

How does buying pasture-raised dairy help us not eat sick dairy cows when they are eventually slaughtered, as all are when they get too old and sick? The continued pregnancy and lactation (as cows like all mammals must be pregnant or recently pregnant to lactate), well beyond what the wild animal would have to bear, causes disability and disease and eventually that cow gets sick and sent to the table. Feed lot or farm, it all ends the same.

[@megansmith480]

Thank you for your reply and thoughts on this topic. I just have a few replies and comments on what you said... 1. "People evolved to be omnivores" - actually, this couldn't be further from the truth. In the evolutionary biology community, it is widely known that humans have evolutionary adaptions towards eating plants, we have NO adaptions towards eating animals. There is an endless list examples - for one, carnivores can synthesise their own vitamin C, because they can't get any on a carnivorous diet, but humans cannot, we must eat a large amount of plants. Humans also have absolutely no physical adaptations to hunting animals. Could you take down a buffalo or other herbivorous animal with your short blunt nails or teeth, and snout-less face? Now you mentioned our canines... which when you compare to animals, can barely be called canines. As I said, these teeth would be little help in puncturing an escaping animals hide, but also, many herbivores have some of the largest canines - hippos, gorillas, etc. You also said "when men don't get meat or a similar protein rich food they start having problems." I don't believe there is any scientific evidence for this, one anecdotal story of your own experience means nothing. The world record holder for the man who lifted the heaviest weight is a vegan. There are vegan Olympians, long distance runners, etc. I agree we need protein, but all whole plant foods have protein in them, some more than others, and all are amino acid rich. In fact, the longest lived humans on the planet, the okinauans, traditionally eat a meat-less diet. There are many, many health issues that come from long term meat eating - heart disease, our number one killer, is almost completely due to a cholesterol and saturated fat diet (only found, and in high amounts, in animal products). Don't blame the vegetarian diet on your experience, being fatigued and muddled - blame your vegetarian diet, how you managed it. Those symptoms sound like you didn't get enough carbs, which are the energy source of the body and glucose, the only energy source of the brain. 2. "Without the animal products there would be a major nutritional deficit, not to mention popular outrage." Fortunately, this is simply not true. Please do some more research into the diseases caused by our current standard, animal ridden diets, and the health of a vegan diet. For example, the American Dietitians Association and Dietitians of Canada says, "Well planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutrionally adequate, and provide health benefits to treatment and prevention of certain diseases... Well-trained vegan and other vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of life, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood." See this position statement search.proquest.com/openview/feb3f869986ec4e1a048a04ffd9b9042/1?pq-origsite I hope that as you continue to research this topic, you will see that animal products are only produced for our pleasure and not necessary for us in any way.

[@aplewis7346]

I was getting more at the quality of life issue and the overuse of medications. Antibiotic residues in dairy carcasses are the number one most common warning letter from the USDA. Cows fed grain in dry lots get sick easily. We need predators to balance wildlife populations, and we need herds of herbivores to maintain grass and soil health. Yes, they will all die of old age or by predators eventually. Responsible ranchers harvest animals at their healthiest, humanely, not when old or sick.

[@miriamwoolf7180]

Megan Smith and the best thing is that we are destroying the planet to do it😢 greedy stupid human race.

[@bethanyhunt2704]

"A better milk product"? Dairy milk is not a "product"- it is calf food! Cows are not "commodities" - they are feeling, sensitive beings. Alan is mostly concerned with human wellbeing - don't see much concern for the others involved in the animal ag business! We need to stop seeing other species as objects created to serve us. We generally agree that slavery is wrong, so why is slavery ok for cows, pigs and chickens, who are all as sensitive and feeling as any human, and as intelligent as a human toddler? If we are to be morally consistent, we should think it's ok to cage and enslave two year olds for their body parts. The fact that we have this moral schism is due to SPECIESISM. Don't know what that is? Just think racism, sexism, homophobia, and apply the same process to other sentient beings.

[@MrCinagro]

+Bethany Hunt Good thoughts. Thanks.

[@akronymus]

+Bethany Hunt I read your comment and appreciate most of it. What about slavery on house-cats and dogs? Are they, or can they be when well-done, happy or not? Could a domestic cat or dog survive without it's can-opener? This discussion isn't futile at all. BUT the necessary first step is to _improve_ cattle farming. Not so long ago, it was luxury to have a little piece of meat at a sunday meal. Nowadays most people have five meals a day, none of it without meat. And 1/3 more than we eat is thrown away somewhere in the chain of 'production' and 'consumer'. My grandma was from a farm, and she told me about the value of everything. She didn't force me to eat everything that was on the plate, but she really made me understand. I hate wasting, and I try not to do it. Most people don't care, that's a problem. Seeing how people behave at a noon-time buffet makes me sick. How can we change things like this? We could _half_ our farming 'production' by stopping such things, which would be a good start for a change.

[@navittspottedelk8089]

First of all cow are so domesticated that if we decided to stop using then for food and released then into the wild then they would die from being so malformed, compared to their ancestors. Plus they would also become pests for society if we did release them.

[@jessicabogosoff6028]

+Edit Name no we dont

[@timjohnson4940]

Actually the smartest animal on record is a chimpanzee with the intelligent equivalent of a 2 year old you're making it sound like livestock are at that level. Furthermore people are omnivores and human interests come first, straight up. I and the majority of human beings can care less about animals being butchered for consumption. We care that while they live they're able to live a decent life, sure. But at the end of the day we'll be enjoying our steaks and eggs and milk and fill in the blank. Good luck turning the world vegan you'll certainly need it lol. I'm gonna go cook sausage and eggs now with my eggs extra cheesy.

[@bf6159]

The average person relies on the Grocery Store... a Corporation, to provide viable sustenance, if the Grocer maintains standards the public benefits and the producers are forced to comply, simple as that! If the Grocer had any real concern for the public, this wouldn't happen. However, the Grocer is just another part of the problem. Marketing or not, folks have to eat... in fact, the entire concept of Marketing applied to Food highlights fraud and deception... never met a person who didn't eat! I raised birds on a small farm for a few years, I was on 40 acres by a river, with 3 pastures and woods, they had everything they needed... I applied no chemicals and provided minimal feed, they ate what was on the property. Birds were raised for consumption and for show; free range... real free range, coup was opened at 6am, they left and had the world, coup was closed at 9pm, who ever was in, was in... most "free range" is anything but, just a bigger cage. It takes a lot of work and the losses are high, even in the best of situations. Raise them well, treat them good, kill them in the quickest and most humane way possible, package them, and one power outage spoils all that meat, making the whole process for nothing; the loss of revenue wasn't nearly as frustrating as knowing all those birds were killed for nothing. At least when a predator got them, they were food, and we lost many to predators... far more than we ever sold. It was truly a learning experience.

[@andrewdomenitzdmd]

I have never trusted American food for some reason.

[@courag1]

How many people would use dairy products if they knew that the milk contained PUS?!?! I first learned this in college but dismissed it as "gee, what a nutty professor!" But then I got severe arthritis in my hands and back and thought it might be that I was eating yogurt every day for lunch. I remembered how milk constipated me as a child and how terrible my asthma was. At this point, I could not open a door knob unless it was lever-style. My dear husband had changed all the doorknobs in our house for me. I could not open a jar, got a neat-o can opener which opened jars too because of course, spaghetti sauce in the jar tastes best, right? Did some research on milk, listened to videos Dr. Walter Veith and all the other videos I could find on milk. They also talked about the PUS in milk. So I got myself some vanilla soy milk and decided I was going to try this for a month and give up cheese, ice cream and yogurt. In one month I could again sign my name. I could open regular door knobs and after 3 months, unless the jar is stuck really tight, I can open most jars. Our body is designed to heal if we stop the food poisoning. That was 15 years ago. Then I began to transition to vegetarian and finally I am a vegan. Feel so much better as I could not always manage the arthritis in my back. Going vegan, I lost 55 lbs. and if my back gets sore, usually a good nights sleep is all it takes now to feel alright again. I am 66 and my blood pressure is normal, my cholesterol is normal, my blood sugar A1C number now shows I have no sign of diabetes, whereas I had been pre-diabetic. My husband's also gone vegan with me and he is doing better, as he would not give up milk and ended up with prostate cancer stage 4 and has to be operated. They got the cancer but I told him he can't go back and eat the same way so he is following my lead and he's lost weight, his blood pressure is under control now also and both of us take no medications whatsoever. If we stop the food poisoning, the diseases go away. Listen to Dr. John McDougall.

[@aplewis7346]

The ones who have nothing else to eat but the cow. That's why this is a complex systematic issue that cannot be reduced to a snappy comeback based on what you see in your local grocery store. Join the conversation. It's fascinating.

[@justinrees2400]

Rotational grazing is the answer. The consumer needs to hold the producer accountable, not the government.

[@daisy13joyce]

Problem is the number of people in the world demands intensive farming to feed them all. Man is his own worst enemy. More mouths to feed demands more food, the same will apply even if we all turn veggie/vegan, then all the vegetables will be intensively grown and will have as much nutrition in them as a sheet of paper.

[@aplewis7346]

80% of global food is grown by smallholders without chemicals or CAFOs. 90% of American grains are for ethanol and livestock feed. We don't need chemical intensive farming. It just damages our health and environment in exchange for cheap low quality food.

[@yahuyahu1362]

Stop eating cows...make slaughter houses of glass. ...ppl will be disgusted with themselves for eating such beautiful and gentle creatures who feels pain and has emotions just like us.

[@aplewis7346]

Truth there. I can't get used to slaughter, and don't want to.

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I am a total carnivore. I eat meat and eggs. I live in North Texas and my solution to this growing problem is, I grow my own meat and eggs. End of story.

[@618GOLDENRATIO]

States with large feedlots for cattle have banned the flight of drones over the feedlots. Texas and California are 2.

[@kristintheartist]

Even in “responsible” dairy practices baby cows are taken from their nursing mother so that humans can have the milk. Don’t tell me that mother cow doesn’t suffer as a result, just as a human mother whose baby is stolen does.

[@aplewis7346]

Correct. But there are dairies that keep calves with cows for a longer time. It's a matter of building a business model that includes this practice, and having market demand for milk and meat from proper practices.

[@lazaraza]

The fiberati have deleted the right track from your audio, please fix!

[@geoffreyvanpelt6147]

Informative video. But there are two kinds of GMOs: one is natural, through cross-pollination (how nature works), the other is through direct gene splicing using chemicals. I prefer organic.

[@aplewis7346]

Three kinds. The new ones are created using Artificial Intelligence then the genes are assembled and sparked to life.

[@ptdfbwprhq]

It appears as if one portion of the talk was edited out @12:07.

[@mohamedsabra2925]

+Rick Alba thought so too

[@aplewis7346]

I flubbed a big line, so I had to stop and repeat it. The flub got clipped, but no other content. Thanks.

[@ethanwalker6531]

ohh okay, it crossed my mind for a second that you said something to realistic and big companies were gonna sue ted if they released it