Michael Pollan, the same New York Times author who wrote about the perils of factory-farmed beef, has written a wonderful article on the problems surrounding the industrialization of the food supply, and the reasons to support local food economies.
While the recent E. coli scare is sure to prompt calls for increased regulations and inspections for farms, Pollan points out that this lack of policing wasn't an oversight, it was never necessary until huge food corporations started to interfere with the natural order of agriculture. Where animals once fed on pasture, and their waste helped that pasture grow, we now have animals feeding on feedlots, and problems with fertilizer (which are now chemicals) and what to do with all the waste.
Meanwhile, rather than returning to a more simple solution, modern-day agriculture turns to technological fixes, like chemical fertilizers rather than natural ones, and irradiating meat rather than cleaning up the farms.
If you want to know more about the failing state of our food supply, and why the CDC estimates that our food supply now makes 76 million Americans sick every year (and kills 5,000), I highly recommend you read the full article at the link below.
The New York Times October 15, 2006 (Free Registration Required)