The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

The Fruit of Hard TimesConsumers generally assume that they have nothing to do withcausing agricultural pollution. Many of them ask for food that has notbeen chemically treated. But chemically treated food is marketed mainlyin response to the preferences of the consumer. The consumer demandslarge, shiny, unblem ished produce of regular shape. To satisfy these desires,agricultural chemicals which were not used five or six years agohave come rapidly into use.How did we get into such a predicament? People say they do not careif cucumbers are straight or crooked, and that fruit does not necessarilyhave to be beautiful on the outside. But take a look inside the wholesalemarkets in Tokyo sometime if you want to see how the price responds toconsumer preferences. When the fruit looks just a little better, you get apremium of five or ten cents a pound. When the fruit is classed "Small,""Medium" or "Large," the price per pound may double or triple with eachincrease in size.The consumer's willingness to pay high prices for food produced outof season has also contributed to the increased use of artificial growingmethods and chemicals. Last year, Unshu mandarin oranges grown inhothouses for summer shipment [this fruit ripens naturally late in the fall]fetched prices85