organic vs. chemical fertilizers and feeding the whole world

So I've done a lot of reading on this over many, many years.  And it is my impression that organic techniques produce more food than petro-chemical techniques. 

And ...  I've been told by some eco friendly folks that without petrochemicals, more than half of the world's population would die! 

What a load of crap sez I.

And as I try to throw out examples, this person is not convinced. 

And yesterday I thought of the great persuader:  Fukuoka.  He had bigger rice crops per acre compared to the neighboring land.  And he was able to squeeze two other crops from those same acres in the same calendar year.  All organically.

Petrochemicals were a source of income for some companies, that is all.  They are no good for making food, for people's health (directly or indirectly), they aren't good for the soil, the water or the air.

It's taken a long time for organic methods to be recognized as viable (again) because it was a whole new ballgame for the people starting from scratch.  But the pro-chemical faction don't want to have their opinions contaminated by facts.

Many people are in the predicament they're in because they let others do their thinking for them.

The nine scariest words in the world:
"We're from the government and we're here to help."

Sue

I wonder how many people die each year due to their exposure to chemicals and to the lack of nutritious foods?

"I wonder how many people die each year due to their exposure to chemicals and to the lack of nutritious foods?"

I firmly believe those are two entirely separate questions!

We will never know the number of people killed and maimed by chemical deaths, because there would be a revolution if the facts were known and published.

Separately, we will also never know how many people thought they were eating well, when in reality they were eating nutrient-poor empty calories because of the farmers' chemical dependency on the NPK additives sold to them, and their absolutely ignoring all the secondary nutrients and trace nutrients.

At least 70 years of chemical-tainted poor nutrition.  No wonder we have so many health problems!

We won't even go near the question of fast food, all the foods containing high-frutose corn syrup, etc.

Sue

for sure! we will never know, but not neccessarily I believe entirely because of some conspiracy. long term controlled studies in humans are unethical (rightly so) adn virtually impossible. chemicals people use in there daily lives and additives that they consume are, due to that fact, poorly tested. I want to scream when somebody says "well the FDA wouln't let them put it in our food if it wasn't safe". When, in reality, in addition to the fact that some bigshots stand to make some money on the product, tests only reveal something is dangerous if the side affects are severe (unquestionably outside normal health and behaviour) and prompt (short studies). The studies don't include diverse populations. They especially don't include unborn babies. It is extremely difficult to connect  (understandably so)something the mother ate or was exposed to while preggo, to the behaviour or health in a child that is 7 years old. it is even more difficult knowing that it takes very little exposure to something in utero if it is during a short critical window of specific development. when I see pregnant women and children chugging diet cokes or babies being fed artificially sweetend yogurt or any of them walking around seemingly surviving on HFCS and MSG laden foods I feel like walking up and smacking the parents. ok, I'll step of my homemade soap box now 

Americans have been trained to be ignorant, beginning in the 1880s when the American Public School System was created.  If anyone thinks it was to educate, they need their head examined.  It was created to control the people because a groundwave of rage was developing due to the callous treatment of the workers in the developing Industrial Revolution.  And it worked very well, didn't it?  Most Americans don't question anything of importance, and have very short memories.

Sue

I agree the public school system is programmed to make citizens just educated enough that they can be good little worker bees not independent thinkers. It amazes me how many people swallow what they are told with not so much as a single grain of salt.