To Eat or Not to Eat

           Our society has become overly dependent on meat throughout the past few centuries.  Meat used to be a delicacy, but now it is sold in supermarkets and restaurants for prices that are unimaginable.  The fact that it is possible to get a burger at McDonalds for $1 is absolutely ridiculous.  In Chapter 17 of Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, he discusses the moral aspects of eating meat.  Is it morally acceptable to slaughter animals even if the animals are feeling absolutely no pain?  Today in our food system animals are slaughtered in two different ways: in farms like Polyface the animals generally feel no pain, but in industrialized farms animals generally feel the pain because they see their own death coming.  Pollan illustrates two different perspectives about the slaughtering of animals.  One perspective identifies the idea that animals are “machines incapable of thought or feeling”(306), and another perspective deals with the idea that killing animals in general is unethical.  The supporting details for the first perspective is that if animals have no language, they cannot talk, and therefore they cannot suffer.  If animals are not suffering, keeping them out of the wild is actually benefiting their species as whole although not necessarily each individual.  Although there are a significant amount of farm animals that cannot survive in the wild, there are many people that believe breeding animals just to kill them is inhumane.  Regardless of the process animals are killed, members of PETA, vegetarians, and animal activists in general believe animals have a right to live.  The question becomes whether killing animals provide more advantages to humans and even the species itself than disadvantages.        

            In my opinion, I do not think I would ever be able to become a vegetarian.  Our society has become so reliant on meat, including myself that I don’t think I would be able to stop eating meat completely.  Although I truly believe I could not stop eating meat, I think it is important to closer investigate the types of meat I eat.  Pollan clearly reiterates the fact that many people believe animals have no soul like philosophers such as Descartes, and therefore the act of slaughtering them is completely ethical.  Although I believe that animals have a soul, I think the process of slaughtering animals when they feel no pain is completely ethical.  In actuality humans are the main reason why many species are surviving today.  There are so many animals such as chickens that would have a very difficult time living out in a wild.  Although farmers end their death earlier than they would have liked, the fact that they are living in a safe environment keeps their species alive.  It is true that there is no clear right answer to this debate, but in my opinion as long as the animals are healthy and feeling little pain, the slaughter of animals to benefit not only humans, but also their species is completely acceptable.      

WHY?

Is it possible for the government to mandate how animals are killed in industrial farms?

If people were to see the slaughter process at industrial farms do you think that would affect their intake of meat?

150 Miles for a Supermarket

            The thought of driving 150 miles for a supermarket sounds outrageous.  Why should we drive more than a few if there is a Wegmans, Walgreens, or Kings nearby?  Quality over Price.  In Pollan’s 13^th Chapter in the Omnivore’s Dilemma, he deals with the importance of understanding what quality truly is.  Very few people are taking the time and effort to understand where their meat comes from, but those few people are willing to drive hours to provide their family with healthy safe meat.  They want to know what kinds of farmers are growing their kids food.  Individuals have stopped questioning where there meat comes from, and regardless of the quality they are considering all meat the same.  Meat and even produce used to have seasons, but with today’s technology supermarkets no longer have seasons.  Pollan reinforces this issue as one of the many issues with our food system today, and he provides some solutions for a gradual change within our reliance on the industrial food system.  Rather than always going to a supermarket for fresh food, Pollan suggests the idea of forming a relationship with the farmers in order to know directly where your food is coming from.  Aside from just relationships with the consumers, local farmers and restaurant owners are starting to form relationships.  Another idea was to pledge a certain amount of money to a specific farm, and then rather than going to your supermarket receiving weekly boxes of food.  Pollan underlines the fact that “you can buy honestly priced food or you can buy irresponsibly priced food.”  When we eat the mystery meat at McDonalds or buy the cheap steak off of Walmart’s shelves, how can we know what we are really eating?  The key to success to transform our industrial food system is truly connecting the consumers with the farmers.    

            After reading more and more responses, I am starting to believe that Pollan’s so-called “solutions” are not so realistic anymore.  Although we would all like individuals to pay more attention to where there food is coming from, very few Americans are willing to put in more energy and time into the food they eat.  Just like Pollan said, today Americans spend more time picking a plumber than they do choosing the food they eat.  I would like to think that American’s care about what they put into their body, but although our society has become more health-conscious, we still lack the ability to differentiate the meats and produce on the shelves of the supermarket.  I wish I could say this didn’t apply to me, but I most certainly don’t have the time or the money as a college student to shop at the local farmers market or form relationships with the local farmers.  I think this is where the government should come in, to create policies creating relationships between the locals and their farmers.  It is unrealistic to believe we will drive 150 miles for a supermarket, but it is realistic to believe over time farmers can create new systems to attract new customers, improving the quality of the food we eat every day.      

WHY?

What kind of policies can the government create to improve the relationships between the consumer and their local farmers?

Is it possible to start having two barcodes on the meats in chain supermarkets so that consumers can understand where their food is coming from?

Cheap Calories

            Easy.  Cheap.  Large.  Our food industry is becoming less and less concerned with creating high quality food, and instead they have been concerned with creating the most amount of food for the cheapest prices.  In “Farmer in Chief,” an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollan, Pollan discusses the lack of attention to food policy in history.    He specifically deals with Nixon, but he mentions the necessity of the need for change.  Throughout the years our food industry has changed significantly, and we are at the point where we can no longer just increase or decrease food prices, but instead we have to alter the entire food system.  From using ridiculous amounts of fossil fuels to spending excessive amounts of government funding on health issues our government truly has issues regarding our food system today.  Throughout the years there has been a significant transition from solar energy to fossil energy, but our excessive use of fossil- fuel energy has harmed the environment as well as the well being of our food system.  There has also been a shift from farms to feedlot allowing Americans to buy proteins such as burgers at a ridiculously cheap price, but increasing the pollution into the environment. 

            Pollan argues that in order to improve the food system there are some essential steps that need to be taken.  Starting with our diets and ending with government policies pertaining to food supply, there are many actions we must take to improve the food system.  Rather than rewarding diversity, producers and our government have been discouraging farmers from producing specialty foods and instead encouraging them to produce a lot of cheap food.  This lack of diversity requires the need for more fertilizers and pesticides, negatively affecting our environment.  Pollan makes it clear that in order for the food system and our health to improve, it is a necessity that more farmers are willing to grow food and that we are willing to accept somewhat higher prices.  There has clearly been increased demand for local markets, but as of now the government has no role in the rapid growth of these markets.  As America tries to reconstruct its food systems, it is crucial that all individuals that deal with food for their job such as farmers and even consumers play a role in changing this system. 

            This article brought up the issues our food system has created throughout the years, and the possible long – term solutions for this immense problem.  This problem clearly cannot be fixed by a few changes in government policy, but in my opinion this transformation requires the cooperation of the producers, consumers, and industries.  Less processed and healthier food has the potential to benefit all three of these groups, if the system is changed correctly.  Without the addition of more farmers growing more diverse food, it is impossible for the consumers to expect diverse food in the supermarkets.  Without industries willing to expect to make less of a profit off of their foods, it is impossible for farmers to create food.  Cooperation is the key to success in our food system.  We need to stop thinking solely about cheap calories, and instead think about healthy calories.  With obesity being a major problem in the United States, we need to start to focus more on changing our food system to benefit the people.  It is true that you can get 5 hamburgers for 5 dollars at McDonalds, and probably feel full, but that is not the type of eating that Americans should continue.  Americans need to convert their food system, and they need to start today.

WHY?

Is it really possible to transform our food system after so many years of abusing fossil fuel energy?

What do you think is the best way for the government to approach creating policies for the local food markets to decrease the prices to make the food more affordable for the lower class citizens? 

Food Inc. Controversy

POSITIVE RESPONSE:

http://mazon.org/2009/06/17/food-inc-review/

In Mazon: a Jewish Response to Hunger, a foundation to prevent and help hunger around the world, Ed – Yerke Robins comments on the positive aspects of the documentary Food Inc.  Coming from an organization whose goals are to prevent the hunger, Robins comments on the fact that the Food Inc. documentary helps educate Americans about the reality of our food production.  The focus of this response is around the mass-production of food in comparison to the mass production items such as sneakers.  Food has become so commonplace, that we forget that so many people are still hungry, and do no have the food security so many of us are fortunate to have.  Eating and specifically healthy eating is a prevalent issue today, and through Robins response he advocates for the necessity to stay involved and educate yourself through videos such as Food Inc.  Robins provides the example, of Kevin, of whom the food industry failed, and uses him as an example of why we need to educate ourselves and understand what is actually being put in our food. 

NEGATIVE RESPONSE:

http://greenupgrader.com/8020/monsantos-food-inc-facts/

http://gliving.com/foodinc/

I could not find the exact blog where Monsanto negatively responds to the issues in Food Inc., but I found many newspaper articles with quotes directly from the blog.  According to Monsanto, which is a US agricultural biotechnology corporation, the Food Inc. documentary was an extremely one-sided film where America’s hidden production secrets are revealed.  Monsanto produces genetically engineered seeds along with other genetically engineered products.  Monsanto uses extremely strong language against the facts in the Food Inc. documentary especially those dealing with the role of the farmers.  The Monsanto Corporation argues that the solution to feeding our entire country is unrealistic.  Farmers have the responsibility of growing a lot of crops in a short amount of time, and the Monsanto Corporation comments on the unrealistic aspects of the improvement of production.  Coming from a company that genetically modifies seeds, in my opinion they are against Food Inc. because it leaks a lot of the secrets, producers want to keep secret. 

EVEN-HEADED RESPONSE

http://jenniferchandler.com/uncategorized/food-inc-documentary

            In Jennifer Chandler’s blog “Esteem Rising,” she discusses the video Food Inc. from what seems like an unbiased point of view.  She is not part of a large corporation or a foundation, and she therefore is responding from the point of view of a consumer.  Chandler discusses the idea that the documentary deals with the Food Industry as a whole from the farms to the corporations rather than dealing with a specific section of the food chain.   From the immigrants who work in the factories to the consumer’s role in the whole process, Chandler clearly illustrates the importance of the Food Inc. documentary.  Even if you don’t agree with the documentary, the documentary demonstrates some of the major problems in our food systems.  If anything this documentary increases awareness on the safety and health issues of the food we eat everyday.  Chandler openly discusses the importance for increasing awareness of the industrial food chain in our society today.         

“There are No Seasons in the Supermarket”

Where does our food actually come from?  Are we actually eating what we think we are eating?  Through the documentary Food Inc., the director explores the food system in general from its production on farms to being placed in the supermarket aisles.    Unlike what food companies and supermarkets want us to believe about the diversity of most of the food we are eating, the majority of the food we eat comes from a very small amount of companies and producers.  Our food is no longer thought of as being produced by individual farmers, but rather it is thought of as being produced by a system.  A system that has become so accustomed to modifying our food so that it is easy to produce and cheap for the consumers.  People are no longer willing to pay for expensive meats or really any other processed food when they can get the same amount for half the price.  Franchises like McDonalds are creating menus such as the dollar menu, where they are able to charge meat for just a dollar.  This obviously cannot be sanitary, and the probability of the consumers contracting diseases such as e coli is significantly higher. 

How does this disgusting meat make it to our plates?  Throughout the video, the process of catching the chickens and cattle is shown vividly, and the lack of the catchers’ attention to detail is evident.  The chickens are left in a dark tunnel to facilitate the process for the catchers, but by no means is this process hygienic.  It is atrocious what these poor animals go through, but it is also atrocious that these farmers and producers deem it appropriate to put these packages of meat on the shelves of our supermarkets.   

            I have never been more disgusted from watching a movie than after I watched Food Inc.  I cannot believe the process our meats and poultry experience before they are cooked and eaten.  The segment on fast food chains scared me the most.  The fact that unhealthy and unsanitary meat is being served to customers worldwide every day is abominable.  Fast food chains generally gross me out anyways, and I try to stay as far away from them when I’m choosing my meals.  The specific case with Kevin’s death was a wakeup call in the seriousness of the food we put into our bodies.  I am a huge meat eater.  Whenever I’m home, I eat meat all the time whether it is my mom’s cooking or at a small diner down the street.  I never realized the consequences of “bad” meat or even the severity of eating “bad” meat.   Throughout the years, people have stopped checking the quality of the meat, and instead they have been checking the price of the meat.  Especially in this economy it is so difficult to eat healthy and support a family.  In my opinion it is outrageous that the meat companies are lining the supermarkets with unsanitary, processed, uniformed meats.     

WHY?

Is the government going to create new laws requiring certain sanitary needs for the production of our meat?

If the meat production increases the price of meet at the expense of making the meat more sanitary, will consumers still buy as much meat?

Why do you think people still eat as much meat even while it is so unsanitary, and processed so thoroughly?

“Bye, Bye Mommy”

Aside from solely tracking corn through the entire food chain, in Chapter 4 of “The Omnivores Dilemma” Pollan decides to track the industrial food chain further dealing with cattle from the very beginning till it ends up on our dinner plates.  Therefore Pollan buys steer, 534, in order to trace it through its entire life span.  The first stage in the production of meet is called the “cow-calf” operation where beef cattle are born ranches not owned by a major corporation.  The cattle have no idea what they are in for as they spend the first six months of their lives next to their mother, until the six-month comes and they are weaned from their mother.  Calves are weaned so that their mothers can have more calves as well as the need for a change in their diet, but it is a shocking time for the calves.  The calves are then shoved together in a feedlot and put on a strict diet of solely feed made of corn and high in protein and fat to significantly increase the size of the calves.

Starting this new diet negatively affects the calves because they are not used to eating corn or any type of feed of that kind.  Health problems are ubiquitous among calves when they first change their diets.  Corn is used because it is cheap.  By no means is it used because it is better for the calves.  Because this system focusing on benefiting the producers, the health of the cows is overlooked, and cows tend to develop diseases such as mad cow disease.  This then affects the health of the consumers because they are being served unhealthy and unsanitary meat. 

The process of production involving the cattle is inhumane in my opinion.  I cannot believe the process that the beef cattle endure without a choice.  They are born with their mothers, but before than can even truly adapt to their settings they are weaned away from their mothers.  They are forced to eat food that is terrible for their own health, but rather solely benefits the producers.  The feed made of corn is cheap calories, and all producers are looking for is the cheapest way to produce the most amount of food.  Today so many of the meats in our supermarkets are so much cheaper than they used to be.  This is not because it has become easier to produce beef cattle, but rather they have improved the speed of the production of cattle.  Beef cattle are becoming bigger and stronger in less time, yet they are contracting diseases, and passing them on to the other cattle.  I think that producers should take a step back, and reevaluate this process.  Although I understand cheapest is generally the way to go, in this sense the health of the cattle and the consumers should be taken more into consideration. 

WHY?

What else could be substituted into the feed, that is still cheap, but healthier for the cattle?

What percentage of the meat we eat has been produced by infected cattle?

Is the meat on our supermarket shelves safe to eat?  Is this meat just as bad as the meat in McDonalds?   

Corn. Dextrin. Dextrose. Maltodextrin

   Who would've thought that corn would be one of the most important aspects of our industrial food chain today?  In the first three chapters of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," Pollan describes the necessity of corn to our industrial society and to basically the majority of the foods we consume.  Although our supermarkets are filled with diversity among the many different aisles, the diversity is lacking in the production of these products.  In the beginning of Chapter 2, Pollan identifies the importance of each individual farm to the production of corn for our society because one farm has the ability to feed 129 individuals.  Although each farm can feed 129 individuals, it is very rare that the farmers producing the corn attain enough profit to make a decent living for themselves.  Pollan visits George Naylor’s farm in an attempt to trace the production of corn until it is processed to when it becomes the food we are familiar with and eat every day ranging from a breakfast bar to the completely processed chicken McNuggets you order from McDonalds.  

            From discussing genetically modified corn to the fall in population of the American Belt, corn has become the number one item on a farm, even higher than necessities such as cattle.  Corn’s production has increased significantly, but with its increase, its cost continues to decrease, increasing the hardships farmers have to experience.  Constrained by the government, farmers are forced to continue selling large amounts of corn, although they rarely make a significant profit.  Corn continues to have an extreme impact on our food chains, acting as an ingredient in numerous numbers of food products.    

Until I read these chapters in “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” I had no idea that corn is in almost everything we eat.  I try to read the labels to see whether what I am eating is healthy or not, but for some reason I have rarely seen corn on the label.  After reading these chapters I went through the food in my desk, and found corn as an ingredient on every item on my desk.  It is actually ridiculous that corn has become so commonplace in so many different supermarket items, especially after learning the process behind the corn production.  I can no longer force myself to believe that all this genetically modified corn, hybrid corn used in the production of our food is actually healthy.  

            It is outrageous that although our society relies so heavily on the production of corn, farmers whose main occupation is producing corn cannot make a living for themselves.  I cannot comprehend how the government is standing by without making more policies benefiting those farmers and the quality of the corn itself.  I will never again be able to think of corn as the long yellow cob I eat at barbecues, but instead I will think of the corn being planted at the beginning of the food chain and the complex process it endures until it becomes the food I eat and enjoy everyday.  

WHY?

At what point and why did corn production become genetically modified? 

Are we getting the correct nutrients that are necessary for our body if corn is present in different forms in almost every item we eat?

Is it practical to expect the government to start taking action to increase the profits each individual farmer makes on the corn he grows?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I commented on this in my response shortly, but I think Maddy brought up a very interesting point dealing with large companies gains at the expense of the small farmers.  Farms are becoming less and less prevalent in society, and large companies rarely hesitate if it means making a profit at the expense of the farmers at the other end of the food chain.