Food safety has been a popular political topic this year, especially with the intended implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Unfortunately, much of the recently proposed legislation relating to food safety promotes a symptom driven approach that favors industrial farming and poses significant challenges to smaller farmers.
Stand Up for the Small Guy!
Ironically, it's the small farmers who use natural, organic, and sustainable methods who need the least amount of regulation but are impacted by it the most. These farmers raise crops and livestock in a manner that resembles their natural environment. This results in healthy and robust plants and animals that are naturally resistant to infection and disease. In contrast, many large industrial farms raise crops and livestock in an artificial and assembly line type of environment that increases output and profitability at the cost of food quality. Because the plants and animals that are raised in these conditions are unhealthy and much more susceptible to infection and disease, more regulation is needed.