... still big farms have a WAY higher *efficiency* .. just consider the big machines they can use .. and efficiency is an important issue when it comes to energy supply and the second law of thermodynamics (i.e. global warming)
Good point Xeroc - I agree energy supply is an important factor, but I don't believe its isolated on just the farms. In the U.S. food is shipped, on average, about 1900 miles from the source of production.
Going off on a tangent here, but there are also a lot of REALLY big issues I have with the sheer volume of pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides being dumped over the plants that are inevitably accelerating climate change and damaging ecosystems. I don't have issues with GMO's (again, technologically objective perspective); what I do have an issue with is
why GMO's are developed, enabling monopolies to force the ever increasing usage of harmful chemicals.
I also believe this goes beyond efficiencies. I was catching drinks with my boss last night and he brought up a really good point; do we really know what we're putting into our bodies? Like really?? I would love to know 100% exactly what inorganic materials and what ratios of those materials make up the plant matter I'm ingesting. I would also like to have the assurance that I'm not ingesting chemicals "known to the state of California" to cause cancer. And I'd like fresh strawberries when there's a foot of snow outside. Or heirloom tomatoes. Or arugula where the flavor profile is dialed in
just right.
This is just the tip of the ice berg with what's possible and I say we bring back the flavor first and foremost. :-D