Скачать или смотреть Food Freedom Update from Health Impact News

There is nothing more basic to our physical health and longevity than the quality of the food we eat. Even the functioning of our minds is directly influenced by what we eat and drink. Those of us who understand this reality place great emphasis on being free to buy the foods of our choice from the sources of our choice without interference by government regulators. Selecting food and consuming food based on personal preference is the key principle at the heart of the food freedom movement.

However, our access to quality food is increasingly being limited by state and federal regulations. The lobbying efforts of Big Ag, Big Chem, mega food processors, mega food retailers, and other well-funded marketing entities, are working to repress our rights to purchase the food of our choice. They exert their influence in the U.S. Congress, in federal agencies, in state legislatures, and in the state agencies that are in charge of public health and agriculture.

Those who believe in food freedom contend that consumers should have the right to buy locally produced food from whomever they wish whether or not the food producer is inspected, licensed, or otherwise regulated by federal or state officials.

Corporation lobbyist and state regulators insist that such freedom is dangerous and that the government must protect the population from food related illness and death.

Several states have been in the forefront of what is unfolding as the “food freedom movement.” These states include: Maine, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Those engaged in the process of establishing food freedom laws are not saying that we should eliminate food inspection programs. On the contrary, they believe such laws are needed for food produced by large corporations. Their concern involves locally produced food that is sold locally. This is the kind of food that a family farm produces or the kind of food prepared in a home kitchen. This is food that is produced and sold directly to people in the local community. It is about one neighbor having the freedom to sell food to another neighbor.

This podcast contains comments from LeAnn Harner, Heather Retberg, and Betsy Garrold. Their remarks contain valuable information about their experiences in promoting food freedom in North Dakota and in Maine. LeAnn Harner provides an overview of food freedom and a highly informative discussion of how to work with the legislative process. Heather Retberg describes the origin of food sovereignty in Maine and how food quality is kept high by Maine farmers. Betsy Garold discusses several topics including opposition from state regulatory officials and the non-partisan nature of the food freedom movement.