Reply #79: from the other end, as well [View All]

[Two Americas]

I work in agriculture, and the pressure is on the farmers as well. Control of the food supply is becoming concentrated in fewer and fewer hands and it is getting harder and harder to farm. The pressure to meet the buyers' standards for size and appearance, price pressure - the prices paid to farmers are going down while the prices to consumers are going up - the pressure to focus on fewer and fewer cultivars - the big buyers are only interested in the handful of varieties that give them the maximum and most consistent return - pressure from substandard imports and widespread cheating and misrepresentation by corporations all are making things worse and worse for farmers.