May 5, 2014
Mr. Bob Roberts, Chairman of Baja’s Department of Food and Agriculture,
Baja White House
Office #13
Dear Mr. Bob Roberts,
As chairman of the Environmental Department, I, Bruce Wayne, plea for the reevaluation and restructuring of our food system. Our past way of eating was detrimental to our health. The processing and packaging of our food was problematic to the environment and to us. Other issues included insufficient nutrition and excess chemicals in food. If we want to survive on Baja, our food system NEEDS to change. Hopefully, my suggestions and opinions will help create a new, healthier food system for Baja, allowing us to prosper.
Most foods we ate were processed in some way. Apples were cut from trees, ground beef was chopped up and butter was creamed from milk. This method of mechanically processing food was beneficial. But, some mechanically processed food, such as white rice and noodles, were also stripped of their nutrients. Chemically processed food, such as snack products, deli meat, frozen meals, and drinks were food that has been altered through additives such as flavor enhancers, binders, colors, fillers, preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers and so forth. These additives usually include:
- High fructose Corn Syrup: a ubiquitous sweetener that helps maintains moisture while preserving freshness.
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): a flavor enhancer that is found in salad dressings, condiments, seasonings, bouillons and snack chips.
- Benzoic Acid and Sodium Benzoate: preservatives often added to drinks, low-sugar products, cereals and meats.
Studies have shown that continued consumption of these chemicals will promote disease. Instead, we should use natural spices such as oregano, thyme, pepper, garlic and rosemary to enhance and preserve our food. Furthermore, we can make our food organic.
Organic, pesticide-free fruits, vegetables and starches may be laborious and costly, but in the long run, it is the healthier alternative. When you eat nonorganic plants, pesticide will build up in your body overtime, increasing the chance of pesticide related consequences. We can change this by not only eliminating the use of pesticide, but also using organic fertilizer such as animal feces. In order to make sure the animal feces are not comprised of chemicals, we should not feed the animals chemically enhanced food, or inject chemicals into them.
We ultimately receive drugs such as steroids, growth hormones and antibiotics when we eat the chemically injected animals. These drugs cause the animals to grow bigger or become immune to certain diseases. It may benefit the animals, but it is destructive for us to consume these excessive drugs. Ingesting antibiotics in the absence of bad bacteria can end up killing good bacteria. This results in an imbalance in bacteria and weakens the immune system. It can also lead to antibiotic resistant diseases. Steroids and growth hormones will disrupt our natural growth ability by promoting abnormal cell growth. Some cells may be cancerous, eventually leading to disease. Organic, chemical-free meat from properly fed, free-range animals is much healthier.
Free-range animals run around freely, making them healthier. Furthermore, animals such as pigs, chicken and cows should not be corn fed because it is not their natural food. Pigs and chicken should eat grain and cows should eat grass. The best method to farm cows is to let them roam from pasture to pasture during different times of the year. This allows each pasture to rejuvenate. The cows exercise as well. But the actual food is not the only issue at stake.
Plastic food packaging not only affects the ecosystem, but also has a detrimental effect on the food inside. Chemicals from the plastic will slowly seep into the food and ultimately into our bodies when we eat it. Packaging should be safe for human health and reusable to prevent waste. Furthermore, we need to eliminate food waste. It would be beneficial for the government to conduct yearly calculations of Baja’s food consumption rate. With these calculations, we can ensure that we do not over produce our food supply. This will eventually reduce the size of our carbon footprint.
The Department of Poverty should ensure that every citizen could afford this costly organic food. By using food stamps, the Department of Poverty will be able to subsidize those in need. Eating costlier but healthier food will lead to a stronger body with a better immune system, allowing them to be more productive in the community. Eating unhealthy food will cause citizens to get sick and pay extra for medical treatments.
Hopefully we will not only survive, but also thrive in Baja. Changing what we eat is an essential step. In addition, the Department of Education must educate our citizens to be more appreciative of our food. By using organic fertilizers and eliminating pesticides, our fruits, vegetables and starches will be healthier. By not adding drugs into our animals, our meat will be more nutritious and less dangerous. By reducing our food waste, our carbon footprint will be smaller. By changing our food system, we will flourish in Baja.
Sincerely,
Bruce Wayne
