One Change

I recently read an article in The Nation called "One Thing to Do about food a Forum". In the article various people from the food community gave their opinion on what one thing could change Americans perspective on food. A few of the ideas include Michael Pollan's idea to weigh in America on the farm bill or Peter Singer who says don't buy factory farm products. These ideas really show how people feel about the industry. For example Peter Singer really takes a negative jab at the industry and basically to sum up his argument believes if we ditch the industry the food system in America will be fixed. Michael Pollan's idea is to weigh in Americas input to the farm bill. He believes that this could impact the speed of the food systems change in America.

It seems to me that a lot of the answers to the question posted by The Nation were a direct attack on the industry and I believe this is wrong. American is pulled and swayed by supply and demand. It is not up to the government to fix the industry it is up to the people to mold it with their food dollar. However their is some things that will probably not change if you want to eat. For example factory foods will always exist to feed the masses. If you take your food dollar away and by organic this or organic that it will also increase in scale and become factory much like Kellogg has changed organic production today.

Wendall Berry seemed to have a better idea of how to motivate the food system. That is through two things knowledge and hunger. In America it will take a famine for people to truly appreciate the food we have and see what is important and the knowledge will help them see where issues stand.

What is truly important in our system?

How would you change it?

What if we did stop buying industrial food products what would be the result?

Food, Food, Food, Everywhere but not enough to Eat

The Article "The Scarcity Facility", by Stephen J. Scanlan, J. Craig Jenkins and Lindsey Peterson, describes the issue of food scarcity around the world. It opens peoples eye's by showing clear information that shows data from the last couple decades. It is important to inform the public that the real problem is not lack of food which is what many people think. The article shows this by showing that we actually have an access per person. The concentration of the food stays in rich countries and the majority of starving are in poor. The article also describes that the majority of the starving are women, children and minorities. What is interesting in the article is that some of the poorest countries in the world are exporting the highest percentage of their food and have the most hungry.

This is where I draw the line I think this is wrong. I personally think that if your people are hungry why are you begging for help when you are making the problem worse. This is the problem with corrupt governments in poor countries, they have so much control the people suffer from it. This is one of the eleven points the ONE campaign wants to change is governments corruption the way to do this is through education. I also think there has to be a help yourself mentality and that if we are providing funding it needs to be monitored otherwise it will be used to corrupt even more issues.

Is our funding being used correctly?

Is there a way for countries to be independent?

How much help is to much?

What is the biggest cause of hunger?

Food Stamps

I have just recently read an article in the New York Times on the increasing use of food stamps in the United States. The article really goes into detail on multiple sides of the issue. They explain how stamps have progressed through the years and have now become easier to get. All people seem to use food stamps however, in the majority it seems minorities, especially African American and single mothers seem to rely on them the most. Since the recession the use of food stamps have greatly increased and the need has gotten even greater. The positive thing for people that needs stamps is the government has yet to want to stop growing the program the only problem with that is that it causes more debt. For example during the Bush administration they change the requirements and changed the name hoping for more people to take the help. The article also seems to state that the stigma around food stamps has also diminished. Meaning fewer people are being ridiculed for being on a government program.

I believe that the stigma of being on food stamps is still prevalent. The reason for this is that some people abuse the system and don't put in an effort to make money to offset food stamps. If only the people that truly needed the system used it I think the stigma would be non exsistant. I believe in the need for the system but I think it needs stronger regulations to be effective.

Should food stamps be more regulated?

Who should be in control of food stamps?

Is their a better program than food stamps that could be developed?

McDonaldization

In the a brief article I recently read on McDonald's in society the author draws a parallel between our culture and the changing fast food marketplace. It seems to the author that clearly the American culture is more worried about speed and convenience than health and quality. In other words we have become a quantity not quality system. This had seemed to be a well developed trend considering the author compares it to many happenings in everyday life. For example he relates McDonaldization to the constant mechanization of the culture. Day in and day out we have more and more ties to machines to do things for us.

Some people believe that this is a emphasis on cheapness is a horrible thing and a detriment to a culture. I believe that what the market demands should happen. This is why today you begin to see more and more healthy food in the market place. If this trend continues I believe that fast food establishments such as McDonald's will have to start subbing in new healthier choices. The way this happens is you vote for what you want with your dollar, so far we have ask for speed and convenience and taste. This is just begging to shift and I think if it continues and is not just a fad McDonaldization will fall.

Is McDonald's a negative in society? How much control do they actually play in shaping it?

Do you see quantity trends continuing or stopping?

Mindless Eating

I just read the first chapter from mindless eating and it was so interesting to figure out what things influence what people eat and how much they eat.

The most interesting experiment to me was the use of cheap wine. In one study they named it California wine and in the other they named it North Dakota wine. Both were the same wine with the same labels and equally as bad. However since the North Dakota wine was from that region which is not known for wine they rated it worse and their meals worse than the all powerful Californian label.

This makes perfect since considering Americans lust for certain brand name goods. For example some people only drink one type of soda maybe Coke over Pepsi or one brand of clothing over another even tho they may be almost identical. This is the power of American Capitalism.

How big a role does packaging play on how much we eat?

The Fat Republic

It seems that Americans cant get enough of fatty foods. I admit I love fatty foods however their is a balance and recently the balance has been of in the American diet in a chapter of the Omnivores Dilemma Michael Pollan describes how the new fat republic relates to our consumption of alcohol before prohibition. He also describes some of the roots of the obesity epidemic and how Americans started their super size lifestyle.

All in all in this chapter Pollan ends up pointing fingers at subsidies and cheap corn. In actuality corn is not that cheap but we have perfected the process of refining it which is what really makes it cheap.

In America however we dont force corn down peoples throats and not tons of it either. I think instead of people pointing fingers they need to act themselves. I eat tons of corn and I dont show it because I keep active and eat well balanced meals. This is the key people need to take action on their own part to change their lives and not expect people to always do it for them.

Is obesity a social problem or an individual problem?

Will "The Fat Republic" spread worldwide?

The Processing Plants

I recently read another chapter in Omnivores Dilemma that discuses the trip corn takes from filed to plate. The steps include going through a process of steel tubes and chemicals to create a product. Then putting them through a processing plant to put them on our shelves.

To me this is a very good system. It produces many products and in the end results in very little waste. Which I believe is important that we use as much of a crop that we can. However some believe that it is a problem because we are changing the basics of a crop and turning it into something foreign that we should not be eating.

The process is actually one of the most energy efficient in our industrial agriculture system and is really one of the contributors to Americans cheap food supply.

If we don't process the corn what else should we do with our excess?

How willing are we to stop processing corn when we go to the store and suddenly all the processed foods corn is in are gone?