Meet the World's Smartest Farmer - Joel Salatin





Nutrient-Dense Manifesto

A complete version of this document can be found at
http://www.nutrient-dense.info/docs/NDManifesto.pdf

Take Action for Soil, Health, Food Quality and the Future of Farming

VISION: A New Green Revolution

  • To restore human health by renewing the minerals and life in soils to optimize the nutrient quality of food.
  • To support farmers to apply biological principles of 21st century agriculture in effective soil stewardship.
  • To create Standards, Certification and Marketing to deliver authentic Nutrient-Dense foods to consumers.
CAUSE & CONDITIONS: Where we are, how we got here
  • WHEREAS six of the ten leading causes of death are due to food quality and diet;
  • WHEREAS the nutrient content of foods is 15 to 75% less than 50 years ago when the USDA began publishing data;
  • WHEREAS food today has low nutrient density due to poor nutritional practices of farmers who grow that food;
  • WHEREAS most farmland is deficient in minerals, trace elements, other essential nutrients, and soil microbiology;
  • WHEREAS 20th Century farmers used large amounts of refined fertilizers with only a few nutrients, and neglected the many other nutrients that are essential to health at parts per million, parts per billion, or even less;
  • WHEREAS no quality standard exists in the marketplace to identify foods with superior nutrition;
  • WHEREAS “certified organic” food does not offer any assurance of higher nutrient density or flavor;
  • WHEREAS we have technology to grow more nutritious, better tasting crops without toxins and greenhouse gases;
  • WHEREAS tens of thousands of acres of Nutrient-Dense foods are already growing in America;
  • WHEREAS still are using 20th Century thinking to address our 21st Century challenges;
THEREFORE, WE RESOLVE TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH OUR OBJECTIVES Of Higher Food Quality Standards
  • Advocate the interconnections of soil fertility, food quality and human health
  • Teach growers the biological methods and materials of 21st Century agriculture
  • Improve the mineral balance of our soils
  • Optimize the nutrient content of our foods
  • Increase production of Nutrient-Dense foods
  • Publish Standards & Practices for Nutrient-Dense production
  • Marketplace certification of Nutrient-Dense food & producers
  • Expand marketing & promotion for Nutrient-Dense food
  • Educate consumers about Nutrient-Dense quality Standards
  • Research to document the values of Nutrient Dense Foods
  • Form a national Nutrient-Dense organization
  • Hold a national Nutrient-Dense conference
PRINCIPLES: Guiding Insights
  • Soil Stewardship: living community of the soil food web
  • Biological Agriculture: from chemical to ecological paradigm
  • Carbon-Negative Food: sequester CO2 from the atmosphere
  • Community-Supportive: Locally Integrated Food & Energy
  • Member Involvement: initiative from the ground up
  • Community Building: personal & professional relationships
  • Mutual Empowerment: grassroots change by we, the people
  • Transparency: open communication & full disclosure
  • Openness: information exchange & public online database