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?