The cheapest food in the world is in the USA

In 2010, Americans spent on food slightly more than 9 percent of their income (5.5 for home food and 3.9 percent for the rest). This is the lowest percentage in recent decades, in the early 1960s this figure was slightly more than 17 percent, in 1930 it was 24 percent.

It would seem that having cheaper food Americans look more decent than other countries, but in reality if Americans can save a few dollars on their food, then they have to give these saved money for their health and the ecology of the planet.

Nowhere on the planet is there cheaper food than in the United States

As reported on the site TreeHugger, Professor Mark Perry said in his blog:

"... Compared to other countries, there is no other place on the planet in which there is cheaper food than in the US. 5.5% of their income Americans spend on homemade food, half as much as the Germans (11.4%), French (13.6%), Italians (14.4%), and less than one third in South Africa (20.1%), Mexico (24.1 %), and Turkey (24.5%). Americans during the Great Depression spent much less than consumers spend in Kenya (45.9%) and Pakistan (45.6%). "

Unfortunately, the "faster, larger, cheaper" approach to food production that has saddled the United States is unviable and contributes to the destruction of our planet and your health. Michael Pollan, author of the Dilemma of Omnivorous coexistence and many other bestsellers, said this best:

"Cheap food is an illusion. There is no such thing as cheap food. The real cost of food is paid somewhere else. And if it is not paid for at the cash register, then it is reflected in the environment or on the public purse in the form of subsidies. And it affects your health. "

In other words, pay now or pay later. American food can be cheap, but it's the only "compliment" that it deserves, because when you rely on cheap food, usually you get what you paid for.

Why are there so many fat and sick Americans?

In many cases, this is due to dietary factors. Millions of Americans living in "food deserts" where fresh produce is very difficult to find, and around is only processed food and fast food. If your food consists of burgers for $ 1 and drinks of large containers, then this is the way to obesity, diabetes and heart disease and this is just a few negative consequences that can occur with those who adhere to the ordinary American diet.

If you were to receive an annual federal subsidy, you would get only $ 7.36 to buy low-quality food and only 11 cents for fresh fruit. In other words, this money will go to pay for various food additives, fast food and only a small part of them will go to fresh fruit.

Heart disease is a direct reflection of a diet. Heart disease costs Americans $ 189.4 billion annually. However, forecasts show that by 2030 these costs will triple and amount to $ 818 billion. TreeHugger reports:

"If Americans continue to gain pounds, then about $ 344 billion will be spent on fighting obesity by 2018, at the moment this amount can be equated to today's spending on health, plus 21 percent from above (according to USA Today), and if not to address unresolved health issues related to genetically modified food production. "

What is the income from food containing genetically modified foods?

The question is almost philosophical. In the US, almost all processed foods contain genetically modified (GM) components, especially Bt-grain and soybean Roundup Ready. Now these and other transgenic crops are sown with almost 4 billion acres of land in 29 countries, and their producers (especially Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenta) continue to praise them for their unlimited value. These companies own patent intellectual property rights for 70 percent of the grain sold worldwide. They praise the merits of GM crops, supposedly they will solve the problems with the world hunger and food crisis.

But in fact, in a joint report compiled by non-governmental Indian organizations - Navdanya and Navdanya International, the International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture (ICFFA), the Food Safety Center (CFS) and other organizations, it is said that transgenic cultures are surrounded by false promises and they have brought the yields to such an extent that it now harms all agriculture with superweeds, superfamilies, etc.

Scientists have discovered a number of factors affecting human health that they associate with genetically modified foods, including problems related to hormone reproduction, damage to the pituitary gland, but these studies were repeatedly ignored by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Administration and drugs (FDA). GMOs were generally regarded as equivalent to conventional crops. However, this is completely untrue, because GMOs contain foreign genes that have never before been in these cultures and are contaminated with GMO-specific toxic herbicide residues.

Almost every cheap bun has a filling with CAFO

One can not turn a blind eye to the fact that pets are fed and raised in livestock farmers with CAFOs as payment for the cheapest American food. A typical CAFO can provide a home with tens of thousands of animals (if chickens, then 100,000) under the same roof in nightmarish unsanitary pathogens.

Animals bred in CAFOs are often kept in crowded cells, it is not difficult to see that the flooring is covered with excrement, air is often not ventilated. For those who do not know, about 80 percent of all antibiotics used in agriculture go not only to fighting diseases, but also for rapid weight gain in animals. Unfortunately, this practice promotes the spread of antibiotic-resistant diseases, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of Americans.

CAFOs were developed as the fastest way to obtain food for large masses. Large farms use as feed large amounts of grain, soybeans and grains and other cereals that they can purchase at a price below their real cost due to government subsidies allocated. Because of these subsidies, American farmers grow just a huge amount of soy, grain, wheat, etc. As it is written in "CAFO: The tragedy of livestock farming".

"Thanks to the current US government subsidies from 1997 to 2005, large farms saved about $ 3.9 billion annually, so they were able to buy grain and soy at low prices. It is unlikely that without these discounts, many large livestock farms could survive and be profitable.

But there are a lot of small farms, in which most of their forage is grown by themselves and they do not get any government money. Yet they hope that one way or another they will meet the requirements subsidized by mega-large farms. As a result of this unfair competition, CAFOs "crowd out" their colleagues much less than them. "

At the moment, "70 percent of all arable land and 30 percent of the planet's ice-free land are used to grow fodder for livestock. If this continues, adhering to the same growth trends, then according to scientists' forecasts for the period starting from the beginning of the 21 st century to 2050, meat production will double. " Does it suit you?

Food is a direct reflection of your health

If you want to be healthy, you simply have to go back to the basics of choosing food. And as more and more people begin to learn the simple requirements for healthy food, there is no other way if you want your family to be healthy and for that you have to spend some time in the kitchen preparing your food using fresh food.

Refusal of processed food requires a change in thinking, which is not always an easy task. It must be done, however.

Instead of looking at processed foods as something convenient and practical, having a pleasant taste or saving your money, try to think of them as:

• extra calories that will harm your body;
• poisonous mixture of foreign chemicals and artificial fragrances that will lead to illness;
• waste of your money.

Your goal should be to ensure that your diet consists of 90 percent of unprocessed whole foods. Not only will you enjoy enjoying your health, especially if you mainly buy organic food, but also that you will get even more satisfaction knowing exactly what you are feeding your body. It can cost you a bit more, but on the other hand it's just not possible.

You can become much healthier if you eat more natural products than those you can find in your supermarket. Restaurants are able to cover their costs if they receive the products directly from the suppliers. You can also arrange a direct relationship with a small local farmer on a separate basis or join a food cooperative in your area, find real products grown by real farmers who seek to serve the community.

Simple principles to eat well and do not spend a lot of money

There are many strategies available so that the money allocated from the family budget for food can be used to feed your family with healthy foods. Instead of wasting money on expensive boxes of cereals and chips of chips, spend your money on foods that are good for your health, for raw dairy products, organic eggs, fresh vegetables and sour-milk products that you make at home ( sour-milk products are incredibly economical).

The following principles will also allow you to eat well with a limited budget:

Be interested in someone who will prepare food for you. Someone should spend time in the kitchen or otherwise you will give in to unhealthy fast food and half-finished products. Therefore, it is necessary for you or your spouse, another member of the family or someone else you are paying to prepare food for your family from healthy foods grown in your area.

Become resourceful: Your grandmother can tell you how to spend and stretch every piece of food, because such secrets are more familiar to older generations who survived in the military and post-war years. Strive to return to the basics of using bone mass to make a pot of soup from it, learn how to make stew from inexpensive meats, using all waste and so on.

Plan your meal: You simply have to plan ahead, determine in advance what you will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is important, as you must be prepared in advance for all meals. To do this, it is best to survey seasonal products in local farms and plan what and where you will buy. You can certainly do the same thing in the supermarket, or even better use vegetables from your own garden.

In general, you can make a one-time menu for the whole week and make sure at the same time that you have all the necessary products for cooking and then quickly cook from the products that you have at your fingertips.

These simple rules will allow you to become more healthy and save your money, especially if you take food with you from home to work.

Avoid food waste: According to a study conducted and published in the journal PloS One, Americans every day waste about 1400 calories per person. The two ways mentioned above will help you use food waste in your home.

Buy organic products of animal origin. The most important organic products that can be purchased are animal products (meat, eggs, butter, etc.), because animal products tend to accumulate pesticides in large quantities. If you can not afford to buy all the organic food you need, you must first choose and buy organic products of animal origin.