hey,
When Mrs. Collier said we had to read ANOTHER book, I was upset to say the least. I have to read a book about something that is going to make me throw up, but that I couldn’t realistically change to meet the principles of the diehard Organi-galacticos (the people who shove their organic lifestyles down your throats… a soccer joke about the crazily star studded real Madrid team… they are on all organic diets too… funny, but I digress). And if I can’t see it as a viable option, how are the impoverished people I write about going to? For so many, good food is a luxury. It is often a choice between getting something healthy and cutting somewhere else, or a fast food meal and paying for something like education or something important. I thought to myself, this Michael Pollan is nuts, and I have to pay 10 dollars to read a book that might make me anorexic? But as I read it, I found it kind of interesting, though I did have a few “moments”. As I read, I had to think to think about the book in terms of what I eat and in a way that would make this relatable to my topic of poverty. The fact that the food industry is cutting prices by cutting the health of the food (and by extension, the people who consume it) is a biggie. That is the big selling point of those food peddlers, the food is cheap and fast and delicious. That was one of the reasons I cut fast food and soda out of my diet when I was a freshman, the food industry cut so much of the nutritional value out of the food that it is more detrimental than beneficial to eat (did that just sound like a thesis statement?) Pollan talks a lot about how the food industry is bad and his experience in seeing food being produced when he was a reporter. His insight brings a new shade to the already colored topic. Another big point he makes is how the food industry cuts prices by using corn, which is dirt cheap. Not only does this hurt the health of consumers, but it also hurts the economy. The low prices drive competition out of business and the monopoly style companies garner the same effect. A lot of these companies are vertically integrated (they control the entire process from seed to store (APUSH moment!)). Even though this book was assigned to an economic group, it also addresses the social changes the food industry has brought about. The change from hunter gathers to a people unknowledgeable about food who will believe propaganda about the happy farms and lack of unethical practices. The ideology about food that we have has changed so much. Adam was sent to toil in the fields for food; it was treasure to him and his people. But today, food is just another thing taken for granted (unless you don’t have it, but it is so plentiful that everyone should have it). The book was interesting and informative, not just for those interested in economics and ethics, but to those who just care about the world or food. Pollan shows us how our food is made know because the propaganda isn’t going to give us unbiased answers.
happy eating!
Catherine Korizno
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