WIUM Local
(2009-04-09)
Sandra Steingraber signed copies of her books after speaking at WIU.
Sandra Steingraber believes the economy cannot be rebuilt without taking into consideration the effect on global climate change. Steingraber says universities such as WIU can serve as an incubator for changing the way things are done.
"The ability to lower the number of miles between the farm and the dinner plate is part of the solution," says Steingraber. "So, here at Western Illinois University, my hope is that people will feel inspired enough to try turning this into a lab for local foods. For example, the dining services here could source with local organic farmers. Somebody could have a work study position to bring the compost back to the farm. So we could begin to rebuild local food security here in west central Illinois."
Steingraber says locally grown corn is being used for ethanol and other products. That forces the region to ship in food from thousands of miles away, which requires diesel fuel. She says locally grown organic food would be healthier for the environment and for students. It could also give a boost to the local economy.
Steingraber acknowledges the current price of organic foods is high. She believes prices will need to come down in order for them to gain popularity. She thinks prices will decrease as more people embrace organic foods.
Steingraber says data now shows organic farming produces yields on par with conventional farming. She also says there is good evidence showing soil on organic farms is left in better shape for future generations.
In addition, she says there is emerging data showing that - in some cases - food from organic farms contains more nutrition than food grown on conventional farms.
Steingraber is a cancer survivor and author of two books. She was the keynote speaker for the Sixth Annual Environmental Summit at WIU.
News Director Rich Egger spoke with Steingraber after her keynote speech. You can listen to that conversation by clicking on the audio button. © Copyright 2012, wium
