Food And The City Summary

An arising food category in America is anything organic. Over the years, several local grocery stores organic section is rapidly increasing. Michael Pollan, who wrote Omnivore's Dilemma, is a New York Times bestselling author. Pollan stated, “Forty years ago there was no such category as ‘organic’ food. Today it is a $20-billion business- the fastest growing part of the food industry.” (112) With organic farming becoming more common, there are many changes being made that are resulting in significant outcomes. One of the substantial changes while using organic farming is the improved treatment and health of animals. Further knowledge and awareness of the importance on how organic farming is better for the lives of animals, as well as our health is needed. Gaining more education on animals lives with organic farming, will potentially lead organic food becoming the most popular because of its remarkable outcomes.

The food we eat and the quantity of it is what industries base their investments on; they use this to their advantage and produce more quantity than quality for us to consume, without taking into consideration the effect this might have on us or on the world as a whole. In the article “When a Crop Becomes King” written by Michael Pollan we see what the excessive use of a crop can do to our health and the environment. The vast production of products made with corn has made it the crop which is grown more than any other in the United States, but the process of adapting to the high consumption of corn came at a high cost. While corn is the easiest and cheapest substitute for sugar and animal food it is also linked to the cause of chronic diseases and serious, long-lasting damage to our ecosystems. The production of certain things is something we might not have control of but what we should have control of is our health and what better way than denying anything that we know might give us a hard time the power to do

In the past 15 to 20 years, eating locally grown, organic, and non-genetically modified (GMO) foods has become a major movement in the United States. While some have embraced the local farmer’s markets and imperfect fruits and vegetables, others have written it off as a pointless movement that fixes very little. Author Robert Paarlberg sides with the latter, and his essay Attention Whole Foods Shoppers is critical of the organic food movement and contends that world hunger should be the focus of the West and the food industry. Attention Whole Foods Shoppers by Robert Paarlberg has some positive aspects but ultimately fails to present readers with a detailed solution to the world hunger epidemic.

Due to reading “Stuffed and Starved” by Raj Patel this semester, I learned about how foods are produced and impact the world. Ever since I visited the farmer’s market in October, I became more aware of whether or not I am consuming genetically modified crops. Raj Patel revealed some of the many truths about the Green Revolution regarding genetically modified crops that influenced my choice of eating. Prior to reading the section of the book that made me aware of what I am eating, I believed that genetically modified crops were more beneficial than harmful to everyone. Not only did the genetically modified crops produce a higher yield to feed people, but the negative impact of technology outweighed its benefit. For example, Patel states, “domestic

Whether Americans realize it or not, most of them consume genetically modified organisms every time they eat a snack or a meal. According to Robin Mather’s article “The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods”, “you’re eating genetically modified foods almost daily unless you grow all of the food or always buy organic” (Mather). This can be a scary thought for those who know about the numerous effects of GMOs or those who didn’t know what was in the food they’ve been ingesting for years. When Nielsen selected 1,200 Americans for a survey on GMOs for The Wall Street Journal, “61% of consumers had heard of GMOs and nearly half of those people said they avoid eating them” (Gasparro). The only difficulty with avoiding genetically modified organisms is that they make up approximately eighty percent of the ingredients used in processed foods that put together most of the regular American diet (Gasparro). The reason that genetically modified organisms are in most processed foods is because most processed foods contain corn or high fructose corn syrup that comes from genetically modified corn plants. Of all the corn, soybeans, sugar beet, and canola crops grown in the United States, over ninety percent of those crops are grown from genetically altered seeds (Gasparro). Ever since 1996, when genetically modified plants were first commercially grown for the public, the use of genetically modified seeds has been on a sharp increase (Charman). Although the use of genetically modified

produced by Robert Kenner discusses how food in the country has started to be produced inhumanely, it shows how as consumers we must make sure to keep ourselves informed on the ways food is produced. Also, as consumers, we must fight to not allow businesses work in corrupt ways, and the government should not allow corrupt business practices and fight for our food to be produced organically. Companies like Monsanto or Smithfield have so many ties in the government that allow the to regulate the farmers work in either agriculture or in the meat industry. The worst part about all that these companies are doing is they are only helping themselves when they are really costing the country millions and millions of dollars for costs dealing with health or dealing with bank loans causing massive

Agricultural production in the United States has reached phenomenal highs in recent decades, far surpassing the small local farms one would have found a century ago. Large food corporations have become dominant in our culture and especially in the food we eat, but the question of how it may be harming us without our knowledge has become a prevalent issue in our day. The documentary Food, Inc. was produced by Filmmaker Robert Kenner, along with Elise Pearlstein and was released in 2008. During the time up to this event, activists were moving against the big food corporations accusing them of inhumane practice and disease while supporting the return of organic and non-GMO crops. This film addresses this issue and provides discussions and interviews

Today’s food companies are so large that they control every aspect of the food industry. Company’s control what grows in crops, what certain crops to grow, how the crops are utilized. The documentary “Food Inc.” produced by Robert Kennar and Eric Schlosser, takes a look at America’s food industry and how our food is produced. Most consumers are not going to investigate what actually goes into the products. The documentary “Food Inc.” explains to the viewers why the companies’ way of farming is wrong. The film is biased against industrial farming. Big question everyone asks, “Where does our food we consume everyday come from?”

When grocery shopping, we are faced with the question, “ Do we choose organic or the conventional products?” For some people, this may be an easy question depending on how much you want to spend, or if you choose organic products regardless of the price. However, no matter what an individual chooses, we will always be skeptical of the quality difference in grocery produce. Is organic milk that much different? Is it healthier than the conventional milk in the isle? Will it protect you from pathogens? These questions are foreign to the grab and go set of individuals, however King Corn, a documentary based on the overproduction of corn, gives readers an insight on how chemicals and GMOs in our food supply are affecting people all over the country. While there are positive aspects of producing and consuming conventional food, we should carefully investigate what is in our food system and how we can identify the differences between certified organic and conventional.

The “Locally Abundant – Sustainable Food Documentary” tries to show the public what organic farming looks like, what eating locally looks like and educate on the reasons why to eat organic food. Their overall motto is, “You are what you eat, and therefore you should know more about what you eat!” Ryan Oickie and a friend, for a school assignment, made this documentary in Canada. The two young college students take a road trip to see all the successful organic farms around them. They end up staying and volunteering at ten organic farms in hopes of bringing more attention to the organic communities around them. According to Ryan Oickie, organic farming does not only produce organic, safe food but also happy, healthy people.

Watching the documentary Food Inc, there were a few points that stood out most to me. I think one of the most important concerns that were brought up is the consumers not knowing the truth behind the food. Whether there is actual harm in our food or not, we still need to know what is going into our food. The harm that may actually be inside our food can be caused by how easy it is to produce crap food now days. Making mass produced food is a lot easier than it has been in the past because genetics have changed animals into growing faster and fatter. This causes harm to the environment by creating factories for these foods to be made, which causes pollution by emitting many CO2 gasses. However this isn’t a concern for the producer. The producer is mainly focused on money they receive even if it causes harm to the environment or the consumers. The use of pesticides and other substances are used in foods, whether it’s in the production of corn growing or in the food in general to help keep germs out. This also causes harm to the consumer and environment that we should be aware of.

Organic farming is becoming an increasingly popular market throughout the world. (Adam, 2004, p. 666). The aims of organic farming are, to decrease pollution, maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, be more sustainable, and have increased nutritional benefits than conventionally grown foods (Yaping et. al., 2003, p. 298). While the aim of conventional farming is to provide safe, proficient supplies of food, in abundance and at low prices (Trewavas, 2001, p.409). Since 1996, the amount of land in the UK dedicated to organic farming has risen tenfold (Adam, 2004, p. 666). As well, from 1992 to 1997, the amount of certified organic cropland in the US more than doubled (Tafel et al, 2007, p.182 ). The main difference between organic and

It is not a secret that GMF-ed foods have spread out rapidly to the whole world.Genetically modified foods most commonly refers to the plants, which has been modified in the laboratory to enhance improved nutritional content and aimed traits created for human beings and animals. With progress in various types of technology, especially in genetic engineering, farmers and scientists have changed the way in which food is grown and made, raising questions about the methods, their risks and possible effects. GMFs have raised concerns over their own beneficial in that they are resistant to diseases, produces greater yields, and it improves the nutrition of foods making the people unaware about their effects..Every time we go to any grocery

Many consumers and farmers have discovered that living in an industrialized culture where the focus has become faster, bigger, and cheaper is not the best way to produce our food. Obsessed with productivity, the agriculture industry is reaping the negative consequences of creating an unsustainable environment for food production. Time and time again, the media captures stories regarding deadly bacterial contamination and dangerous pesticide contamination causing illness and death in our communities. The environment is also damaged and contaminated. This devastating trend, due to irresponsible farming practices as a result of the industrialization of the food industry, has become all too common. Returning to organic farming,

Present day America has been struggling with a national eating disorder for numerous decades. Through the continuous use of chemicals, preservatives and processing of foods, the connection between nature and one 's plate has been abandoned. GMOs or genetically modified organisms have been another key factor into the nation’s struggle. These modified foods and seeds were created with the future of the food industry in mind, yet they have been proven to create harmful effects. GMOs have been at the root of the major food issues within America. The use of GMOs within the food industry needs to decline, in order to see improvement within the food industry, human progress, and environment. The use of genetically modified foods and seeds