It is indeed a double-edged sword to have these big ag-biz companies purchasing smaller, organic farms and companies. I read an article recently, I think it was out of the UK, that the demand for free-range, organic chicken and eggs has become so pervasive that it will soon outdistance traditional poultry production. That seems like a great victory on the surface, but if the demand for meat and eggs stays the same or even rises as a result of the push for organic, we are still left with large scale animal factory farming, which is just as detrimental to the environment and ecosystems as traditional. Yes, the product we end up consuming is "healthier" for us in the short run, but what is the long-term impact?

Part of the solution is to push for LOCAL first and then ORGANIC. The fact is most small farmers *are* growing organic, it just takes years to get certified, if a small farmer can afford to be certified in the first place. In tandem with that, if we can encourage/educate society to reduce its thoughtless consumption of animal products, we can really make a difference. If the demand is less and people rely on their local producers, the factory farms (both animal and vegetable) cannot justify their existence.