One Thing to Do About Food

"One Thing to Do about Food" is a forum edited by Alice Waters. The forum includes responses from twelve different from twelve different food writers, each writing about one thing that should be done to fix the problems associated with the modern industrialized food system. One of the biggest problems resulting from industrialized food is obesity. People are less healfully than in the past and obesity rates are rising. In the first response, Eric Schlosser explains that obesity stem from advertising to children. Companies market their products to children becuase they tend not to understand the health detriments and can persuade reluctant parents to purchase the products. As a result of this, children today consume over a third of their daily calories from "soft drinks, sweets, salty snacks and fast food." Michael Pollan explains the the prevalence of unhealthy foods is also spurred by the government by means of the farm bill. He argues that if people were more aware of the consequences of the farm bill, there would be more votes to change it. The simplist and most effective solution, however, accoring to Peter Singer, is to stop buying factory farm products. More specifically, he believes that we need to avoid factory farm meat. He explains that the process of converting nutritious grains into meat through animal feeding loses much of the nutritional and caloric value of the grains. For example cattle produce meat at only a 13:1 weight ratio of feed to meat product. In the end, Jim Hightower emphasizes that the only way change can come about is through the people and that we must take initiative in solving the problems surrounding the food industry.

I thought that the authors in this forum made a lot of interesting points. I thought that one of the most interesting concepts was the role that children play in national obesity. As some of the authors explained, children are easily influenced by advertisements and often don't understand the negative effects of the products that they consume. As Marion Nestle mentions, "children cannot distinguish sales pitches from information unless taught to do so." This seems like a problem that can be hard to avoid. It would be hard to teach kides "to do so." It seems that that the only way to get to the root of this problem would be to impose regulations on advertisements.

Discussion Questions
1) What kinds of health and political issues arise from the factory farms and the food industry?
2) How can we solve these issues?

The Scarcity Fallacy

"The Scarcity Fallacy" is an article written by a group of sociologists at Ohio State University. The article focuses on determining the cause of World Hunger. The authors' major argument is that scarcity of food is misconceived as the biggest cause of world hunger, while in reality the problem stems from other factors. The authors argue that the root cause of world hunger is poverty. In essence, they are saying that people go hungry because they cannot afford food, not because there is a scarcity of available food. To support this position they cite the "prevalence of hunger in the world's 77 low-income food deficit countries (LIFDCs)." They also mention that becaus of their lack of "foreign exchange in the international marketplace," these LIFDCs are not able to make much progress. The child hunger rate in Sub-Saharan Africa has dropped only 0.5 percent since 1990. However, the authors also stress that hunger does not exist only in LIFDCs but also in much of the industrialized world, including the United States. In these cases, the authors relate the prevalence of hunger to gender and ethnic inequality. Countries with these types of prejudices also have very high rates of hunger. The authors also blame various types of corruption for world hunger. They claim that corruption in food aid systems contibutes to the problem. For example, they state that food policy aid specialists "found no relationship between need and food aid in Ethiopia. Food aid was instead allocated to areas where organizations had stable operations." Overall, they argue that we should remove the blame for world hunger from food scarcity and place it on the various other factors that they mention.

I think that the authors make a lot of interesting points in this article. I think that when people think about world hunger, they often think that we need to find ways to produce more food in affected countries. As the authors point out, this in fact is not really the case. I think that the idea of producing more food needs to be tweaked to finding ways to to produce inexpensive, sustainable food in impoverished countries. I also think that we need to attack the other underlying issues that the authors mention such as inequality and corruption in government and food aid. We need a more rounded, complete approach in order to reduce and eventually wipe out world hunger.

Discussion Questions
1) What are the biggest underlying issues contributing to world hunger?
2) What approach should we take to solve world hunger?

Sweet Charity: Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement

Janet Popendieck's book "Sweet Charity: Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement" reviews issues involving emergency food systems in the United States. She begins by discussing who eats emergency food. She cites a number of statistics that all point to one general idea: poor people eat emergency food. More specifically, the emergency food demographic is comprised by large numbers minority group members and women. Popendieck then explains the problems involved in determining who gets emergency food, specifcally referring to the outdatedness and miscalculation of the poverty line. Due to the increasing standard of living and living costs, people spend more of their money on other living necessities and have little left to feed themselves and their family. Increased living costs come largely from increased housing expenses. Increased housing expenses lead not only to emergency food dependence but also homelessness and lack of shelter. Increased poverty also stems from decreasing job security, availibily, and benefits, as well as lower wages. Minimum wage jobs and unemployment leave millions of Americans below the poverty line and in need of emergency food.



In a related article (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/hung-f04.shtml), Hiram Lee analyzes a report by Feeding America (FA), an network of thousands of American food pantries and soup kitchens. I think the results are pretty shocking. first off, Lee mentions the statistic that as of january 2010 one out of every eight Americans need emergency food assisitence. In trying to understand the cause of this, Lee echoes many of the ideas brought forth by Popendieck. The problem of low wages is evident as the report reveals that over a third of FA housholds had "one or more adult family members currently employed but still struggled to get enough to eat." In the end I think that the increasing dependence on emergency foods is stemming from the global economic crisis in combination with a higher standard of living.

Discussion Questions
1) What kinds of people are resorting to emergency food systems? How is that significant?
2)Why are peole resorting to these programs?

The Mcdonaldization of Society

"The Mcdonaldization of Society" is a writing by sociologist and University of Maryland proffessor George Ritzer. Ritzer feeds off of the ideas of German political economist Max Weber (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/weber/#IroCagValFra). He explains the process of "rationalization" that is revolutionizing the way Americans eat today. He breaks his theory into six categories. He begins with efficiency, explaining that our society is based on finding the "best or optimum means to any given end." This is evident in the increasing popularity of fast food and microwaveable meals. Ritzer also explains that our society looks for predictability. People like to be able to eat the exact same food (for example, a Mcdonald's burger) across the country and now the world. He also argues that societal food choices show a bigger emphasis on quantity rather than quantity. As an example he points out that Mcdonald's markets their premier burger as the "Big" Mac rather than something like the "Good" Mac. The food industry is also increasingly moving toward the use of technology and computers in place of people. Ritzer mentions cash registers with products and prices built and cashiers only having to press buttons as an example of this movement. All of these ideas collectivel constitute what Ritzer calls the "Mcdonaldization" of our society.

I think Ritzer makes a lot of interesting points in this piece and presents his ideas in an interesting way. It seems from many of his examples that Mcdonaldization is leading us toward a culture where various aspects of our society are becoming more and more "man-made" or artificial. Despite the impeding societal issues however, we continue to implement technology and move in the direction of Mcdonaldization. This is because this process is rational, hence the term "rationalization". increasing efficiency and implementing technology gives people what they want. However, it comes with drawbacks leading to increasing dehumanization of our society. So can we reach a balance? Will we go to far? Or have we already gone too far?

Discussion Questions

1) I what ways do we ourselves contribute to the Mcdonaldization of our society?

2) Where do we draw the line between rationality and irrationality?

Omnivore's Dilemma: Chapters 5 & 6

In Chapters five and six of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," Michael Pollan talks about the idea of processed food. He specifically explains the processing of corn through a process called "wet milling." Wet milling is a high-energy process that yields products such as gluten, corn starch, ethanol, and most prominently fructose which is then used to make high-fructose corn syrup. Pollan explains that food consumption is limited by the fact that people will not eat past being full thus growth in the market in the food industry comes only from population increase. Because of this, corporations are forced to find ways to increase profits in order to be able to survive in a growing economy. Processing food helps achieve this goal in two ways: by making people spend more money on the same foods and by making people eat more food than before. At the same time, however, Pollan believes that processed food is not beneficial to the consumer. In a separate article for the New York Times, (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html) Pollan mentions that we have gone from eating "food" to eating "foodlike substances." We are tweaking and altering products found in nature to the point where they hardly retain any of their natural characteristics.

Discussion Questions
1) How do you feel about the rising prevalence of processed foods?
2) Do you think you are affected by labels and sizes of food products?

Eating American

"Eating American" is a book chapter written by anthropologist Sidney Mintz. In his chapter, Mintz explains his ideas regarding the "American Cuisine." He arrives on this topic after giving a lecture about domestication. Students in the lecture had questioned his statement that there is no American cuisine. Mintz defends his statement. He explains that the American people have come from all parts of the world, each bringing its own culture, and it's own food. In additon, people migrated to different regions of the United States and eating habits differed between regions. Mintz admits that regional cuisines have existed to some extent. When it comes to trying to formulate a cuisine for the country as a whole however, Mintz points out that most of the foods that first come to mind as "American" such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and spaghetti have actually originated from other cutures. He also notes that the American diet is constantly changing. In the modern day, american caloric intake has become increasingly based on fats and sugars. At the same time, fast food is becoming increasingly popular as the current American culture allots less time for eating.

Discussion Questions:
1) Is there an American cuisine? What does it consist of?
2) How do our culture and changes in our culture affect the types of foods we eat?

Best Food Writing: "The Other Other White Meat"

"The Other Other White Meat" is an article written by Ben Paynter for Wired Magazine. In the article, Paynter explores the idea of cloing livestock. To learn about cloning, he visits two businesses that use cloned animals. Paynter begins his article by explaining some of the benefits of cloing animals. The benefit of cloning is that it can produce higher quality products which can be sold at a higher price. However, as Paynter explains, there are some issues involved in cloning animals. One problem is the idea that consumers often shy from willingly eating cloned meat. They often fear that the meat is somehow unsafe. However according to Don Coover, that idea is "total bullshit," and "unless you tell them it's a clone, no one can tell." There are also problems sometimes with the health of the cloned animals. Pig farmer Steve Earhart explains his experience trying to bread a litter of cloned pigs. All four of his cloned piglets died within a few months of birth. It turned out that their deaths were a result of a side effect of some cloning called sudden death syndrome. To account for this, farmers now use the offspring of clones. According to biologist Konrad Hochedlinger, "any abnormalities you see [in clones] are erased in the next generation."

Discussion Questions:
1) Is it ethically acceptable to clone animals?
2) Would you have a problem with eating cloned meat or drinking milk from a cloned cow?

"The Swine Flu Crisis Lays Bare the Meat Industry's Monstruous Power"

This article was written in April of 2009 by Mike Davis, a history professor at the University of California-Irvine and author of the book "The Monster at Our Door: The Global Threat of Avian Flu." In the article, he argues that the H1N1 "swine flu" virus has become and will continue to become a massive global problem because it has not been handled correctly. While less "lethal" than the SARS outbreak of 2003, Davis argues that H1N1 has become more "durable." He believes that the World Health Organization and the Center for Diease Control's lack of "preparedness" and prevention has allowed the H1N1 virus to infect people on the scale that it has. Davis complains that despite a "decade of urgent warnings by scientists" these largre organizations have failed to bring viral assay technology to countries that present likely origins for pandemics. He also blaims the industrial farming system, citing the statistic that, since 1965, the United States has gone from having fifty-three million hogs on more than a million farming facilities to now sixty-five million hogs packed into just sixty-five thoughsand facilities. The close quarters lead to easier spead of disease. Davis roots his argument in "the paradox of the Swine Flu panic," explaining that "while totally unexpected, it was accurately predicted."

Discussion Questions
1) What should have been done differently to prevent the swine flu outbreak? Could it have been prevented?
2) In what ways does the industial farming system contribute to the spread of diseases to humans?

Omnivore's Dilemma: Chapter 12

In Chapter twelwe of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" Michael Pollan returns to Joel Salatin's farm. Thist time, he joins them in slaughtering chickens. Joel explains that they slaughter their chickens outside in the open air and in plain view of anyone who wants to watch. He also hires his neighbors to help rather than migrant workers. As Pollan learns how to slaughter a chicken and eventually slaughters some, the process becomes a moving experience. Galen explains to him that they are careful to sever only the artery in the neck and not the entire head. This is so that the heart will continue to pump out blood. Pollan oberserves the chickens "dancing spastically" after being cut. This sight is disheartening for Pollan, although he admits the spasms are probably involuntary. He also notices that the chickens do not seem panicked before they are slaughtered and there is no sign of emotional suffering. After slaughtering a few chickens, Pollan explains that it is no longer troubling to him. But then he is troubled by the fact that it is no longer troubling. He explains that "in a way, the most morally troubling thing about killing chickens is that after a while it is no longer morally troubling."

Omnivore's Dilemma: Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen of "the Omnivore's Dilemma" is titled "The ethics of eating animals. In the chapter, Michael Pollan talks about the ethical issues involved in the comsumption of meat. He begins by reiterating his opinion that if people knew where their meat was coming from, they probably wouldn't eat as much of it. He also claims that people consiously neglect to pay attention to where their food comes from, knowing that if they did, they would see the ethical issues. Pollan cites Peter Singer in likening animal exploitation to slavery and oppresion against women. While there is much argument as to whether certain animals can reason and how their intelligence compares to that of humans, Pollan believes the underlying factor is the animals' ability to suffer. He believes that most animals in the meat industry spend their whole life suffering before they are slaughtered. He explains that because of this suffering, he became a vegetarian. However, he later points out that avoiding meat does not solve the problem and that some level of predation is neccesary for most species so that they do not overpopulate. At the end he visits a slaughterhouse and decides that animal killing is ok as long as it is done humanely. What is humane, however, is up for debate

Discussion Questions:
1) Where should we draw the line on what we consider humane treatement of animals?
2) How do we decide what species should be conidered equal to humans?

Omnivore's Dilemma: Chapters 11 & 13

In chapters eleven and thirteen of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," Michael Pollan revisits the Polyface Farm of Joel Salatin. He spends a few days working on the farm and observing its processes. He is amazed to see how well different elements of the farm work together and support each other. Joel explains to him the precise processes. He explains that they move their chickens every day so that they always have fresh grass to eat and so that they produce the right amount of maneur to fertilize the soil. Joel also uses the chickens to clean the cow maneur. The chickens eat fly larvae present the cow maneur which can prevent the growth of bacteria and disease. Joel also explains how his tress are planted in certain paterns so as to act as a cooling mechanism as well as to block wind from dampening plant growth. Joel also talks about the cost of his products, claiming that if you factor in tax payer expenses due to pollution and evironmental problems, his food is actually cheaper that most despite its higher retail price. He also claims that his food tastes better than most and complains that people care more about low cost than good taste.

Discussion Questions
1) Why are people willing to sacrifice quality for price when it comes to food but not commodities such as cars and clothes?
2) How is the government contributing to the domination of the industiralized farming?

Omnivore's Dilemma: Chapters 8 & 9

In chapters eight and nine, Michael Pollan begins to explore the "organic" food industry. He focuses on a few specific farms and learns how they work. He begins on the Polyface Farm of Joel Salatin in Virginia. This farm, which raises chicken and beef along with other meat and vegetables is very focused on remaining "organic." Salatin calls himself a "grass farmer," explaining that the production on his farm is all based on grass. All of the animals are grass fed and all of Salatin's meat is produced from the grasses he has grown. The grass, in turn, is fertilized by the animal's manuer in a system that keeps the farm sustainable and organic. However, Salatin does now think of his farm as "organic." He believes that it is "beyond organic," and should be distinguished from industrialized "organic" farms. In chapter nine Pollan travels to Cascadian Farm, owned by Gene Kahn and later to Earthbound Farm, owned by Drew and Myra Goodman. After observing Earthbounds "organic farm," he sees big differences betweeen it and Salatin's farm. A large portion of Earthbound Farm is devoted to rasing different varieties of lettuce to make organic "spring mix." In contrast to Salatin's farm the Goodmans grow their lettuce on tabletops and use lasers and machines to regulate cutting. Pollan explains that farms like the Goodmans are what are now considered organic and that we shoiuld rethink our ideas about organic food.

Discussion Questions
1) How should we define the term "organic"? What should we expect from "organic" foods?
2) What should be considered a "free-range" animal? Are free-range animals today given enough freedom to merit that title?

The Omnivore's Dilemma: Chapter 4

Chapter Four of "the Omnivore's Dilemma is entitled "The Feedlot: Making Meat." In this chapter, the author, Michael Pollan, continues an attempt to follow the path of where meat comes from and how it is produced. He does this by purchasing a calf. The calf is given the name 534, which comes from it's mother, 9534, the 34th cow born in 1995. I think it's interesting that Pollan continues to call the steer by it's numerical name. I think he does this intentionally to emphasize the fact that these cattle are bread for the sole purpose of providing meat and that personal connections with them are avoided. Pollan observes 534 and describes the cattle's daily life and the effect it has on meat and on the environment. He points out problems in the way the cattle are raised and explains how the wrongdoings can lead to disease and pollution. A large number of these problems arise from the food that the cattle are given. Pollan mentions the previous affects of cows eating meat of their own species which lead to mad cow disease, but ultimately focuses on the problems that arise from cows eating corn. A big problem with cows eating corn is that it is slightly acidic, compared to the neutral stomach of the cow. This has lead to illnesses such as E-coli in humans who consume cow meat. In the end he argues that if people really knew what whas going into their meat, there would be a lot less meat eating in this country.

Discussion Questions:
1) Why does Pollan continue to refer to his steer as 534 instead of giving it a real name?
2) How do you feel about the current state of the use of antibiotics in feedlots? Pollan mentions tat overuse can lead to stronger, more resistant forms of bacteria.

Introduction

Hi. My name is Brett. I am a freshman at Cornell University studying in the college of Engineering. This semester I am taking a class called "Having a lot on our Plates: An Introduction to the Sociology of Food and Nutrition" which focuses on the role of food in society and it's effect on the world we live in. In this blog, I will reflect on course readings and share my opinions on pressing topics regarding food. I hope you enjoy what I have to say!