■ We would likely lose weight, reducing type 2 diabetes.
■ We might also see a reduction in some cancers.
It is instructive to look at a major study (Adventist Health Study-2, 1976–- conducted among California Seventh-Day Adventists, who practice a pre
dominantly vegetarian lifestyle. (The results were quite similar to other Adventist
groups worldwide.) Among their vegetarian members, researchers noted in
creased longevity compared to the general population of the state. The men and
women lived 9.1 and 6.1 years longer, respectively. In another study, California
Seventh-Day Adventists were shown to take fewer medications and had fewer
overnight hospital stays and surgical procedures. Based on a 1992 comparison,
they were the longest living formally described population in the world.
Since we as a nation are trying to reduce our healthcare costs, it is clear thatthe adoption of such a lifestyle, even if modified, could cause substantial eco
nomic savings. However, could we produce enough plants to meet such a goal?
The answer is a qualified yes, but other major changes would be required, among
which would be:
■ A vast increase in fresh and best in season (FABIS)—that is, locally grown,
sustainable food■ A conversion of monocrops into multicropping
■ Smaller farms using intensive agricultural techniques and marketing con
cepts, such as community supported agriculture (CSA)■ Projects in urban settings (in the 1800s, 6 percent of Paris consisted of
kitchen gardens)These changes would open up small-scale farming to millions of people whomay prefer to live a simpler life to that offered in the high-tech, high-pressured,
and polluted urban sprawl. Such change would reduce carbon emissions because
THE GARDEN-TO-KITCHEN CONNECTION • 13