Guido Gonzalez
Food Class
Final Exam Question 2
It was once said “Food in our culture is one aspect of a larger nightmare.” There is very much truth to this statement as it describes very well the way food is involved in our lives presently. Indeed, food is part of a larger nightmare that plagues society today, and this can be seen simply through observation and investigation of our surroundings.
Our food is no longer produced on the traditional farms, as we are lead to believe. It is produced in enclosed spaces and in situations often unnatural to the organisms being made into food. To begin, it is manufactured so that any crops that are grown together are all exactly the same. Machines are used to gather and ship the crops, all of which are fueled by an unsustainable energy source. The animals are raised in small cramped spaces and fed food they are not adapted to digesting, so it begins to kill them. So they are forced to live in small spaces while slowly dying. Then when they are fattened up enough, they are killed and put through a production line where they are cut up and packaged and shipped. This process is fueled by the same energy source. The production of food has become completely industrialized. It causes more waste and harm than it does profit and nutrition. This is how “Food in our culture” is at this point.
The “larger nightmare” it would seem is mass industrialism. This system consumes vast amounts of fossil fuels, whose supply is beginning to run dry. This mass industrialism is a monster that consumes more than it produces. Eventually, it will completely deplete all the energy sources that we have become dependent on, and that will cause panic. This is a nightmare because losing the energy sources we use so much would be the end of life as we know it. We would have to re-adapt to living without many of the things this energy has brought us. Food is part of it, but the whole thing is so much bigger than just food.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Past present and future of food
Guido Gonzalez
Food Class
Final Exam Question 1: The Past, Present, and Future of Food
Past: In our earliest stages of evolution, and even into the beginning of our most recent one, humans have been hunter-gatherers. In this system, everything was sustainable; anything that was foraged or hunted, others were left to reproduce. This gave the hunter-gatherers a virtually endless food supply. The diet this system provided them offered a high amount of protein and an excellent balance of other nutrients. They do not store the food they gather as much as we do today, and therefore have no market through which to trade. This means then, that because there is no currency or anything to own, there is no social class. No one is above anyone in this society. (Diamond)
Eventually, humans began to pick up agriculture. They began growing and raising their own food and storing it. This brought on the trading system, which later led to currency. With currency came power and social dominance which humans came to want or need. Then businesses began growing and developing a want (or need) for more efficient and cheaper methods of producing their products, which leads to new, more powerful and efficient energy sources such as electricity, oil, fossil fuels, etc. Humans then became dependent on these sources of energy, and began using them more and more, depleting them. This brings us to the present.
Present: The vast majority of the world has become dependent on fossil fuels, using them for almost everything. Transportation, the production of objects used for entertainment or comfort, and they are used in the processing of our food. In the fields where crops are grown, corn for example, instead of people actually picking the corn, there is a giant machine that cuts the stalks and pulls the corn and at the same time plants corn seeds to grow again. This giant machine is, of course, powered by fossil fuels, a power source that is being sucked dry. And the collecting of the corn is being done on a massive scale. Millions of stalks are being picked per season in one field. The animals in these places are bred and born for the sole purpose of dying and being eaten. From the day they are born, they are put through or hooked up to machines of all kinds (all run by fossil fuels). When the food products are made, they are shipped by trucks (which run on fossil fuels) to supermarkets everywhere, where they are purchased by people, most of whom haven’t a clue how the food was produced. This entire process in dependent on fossil fuels, so when that supply is gone, the whole thing will collapse. Which comes to the future of food.
Future: Peak oil is a concept that we will eventually reach our highest point of oil usage, and afterwards, the supply will decrease significantly, and so will our usage obviously. When that happens, industrialized agriculture will slowly begin to fail unless they find another energy source. When industrialized food is no longer available people, they will either have to find an alternative source for food, or die from starvation. That alternative source of food will most likely be permaculture. This is a new type of farming that involves getting everything working together. For example, a plant that needs shade will be planted under a tree, and in return the plant may give nutrients to the soil that will help the tree become healthy. At this point, permaculture would seem like the most successful, effective solution to the loss of industrialized agriculture. Another solution could be to go back to hunter gathering, but permaculture allows people to keep more of the aspects of their previous life that they are so used to. More people would be unwilling to turn to hunter gathering than those who would be willing. Permaculture would also allow communities to grow and prosper and strive well.
Food Class
Final Exam Question 1: The Past, Present, and Future of Food
Past: In our earliest stages of evolution, and even into the beginning of our most recent one, humans have been hunter-gatherers. In this system, everything was sustainable; anything that was foraged or hunted, others were left to reproduce. This gave the hunter-gatherers a virtually endless food supply. The diet this system provided them offered a high amount of protein and an excellent balance of other nutrients. They do not store the food they gather as much as we do today, and therefore have no market through which to trade. This means then, that because there is no currency or anything to own, there is no social class. No one is above anyone in this society. (Diamond)
Eventually, humans began to pick up agriculture. They began growing and raising their own food and storing it. This brought on the trading system, which later led to currency. With currency came power and social dominance which humans came to want or need. Then businesses began growing and developing a want (or need) for more efficient and cheaper methods of producing their products, which leads to new, more powerful and efficient energy sources such as electricity, oil, fossil fuels, etc. Humans then became dependent on these sources of energy, and began using them more and more, depleting them. This brings us to the present.
Present: The vast majority of the world has become dependent on fossil fuels, using them for almost everything. Transportation, the production of objects used for entertainment or comfort, and they are used in the processing of our food. In the fields where crops are grown, corn for example, instead of people actually picking the corn, there is a giant machine that cuts the stalks and pulls the corn and at the same time plants corn seeds to grow again. This giant machine is, of course, powered by fossil fuels, a power source that is being sucked dry. And the collecting of the corn is being done on a massive scale. Millions of stalks are being picked per season in one field. The animals in these places are bred and born for the sole purpose of dying and being eaten. From the day they are born, they are put through or hooked up to machines of all kinds (all run by fossil fuels). When the food products are made, they are shipped by trucks (which run on fossil fuels) to supermarkets everywhere, where they are purchased by people, most of whom haven’t a clue how the food was produced. This entire process in dependent on fossil fuels, so when that supply is gone, the whole thing will collapse. Which comes to the future of food.
Future: Peak oil is a concept that we will eventually reach our highest point of oil usage, and afterwards, the supply will decrease significantly, and so will our usage obviously. When that happens, industrialized agriculture will slowly begin to fail unless they find another energy source. When industrialized food is no longer available people, they will either have to find an alternative source for food, or die from starvation. That alternative source of food will most likely be permaculture. This is a new type of farming that involves getting everything working together. For example, a plant that needs shade will be planted under a tree, and in return the plant may give nutrients to the soil that will help the tree become healthy. At this point, permaculture would seem like the most successful, effective solution to the loss of industrialized agriculture. Another solution could be to go back to hunter gathering, but permaculture allows people to keep more of the aspects of their previous life that they are so used to. More people would be unwilling to turn to hunter gathering than those who would be willing. Permaculture would also allow communities to grow and prosper and strive well.
IFS paper
Guido Gonzalez
Food Class
Industrial Food Paper
Describe:
The Industrial Food System is a food system in which food products are mass produced in factories in the cheapest way possible. Almost everyone is involved; the workers producing it, the company owners making a profit off it, and everyone who buys/eats it. This industry is treated like any other industry; its only goal is optimum efficiency. My experience with it, like most people, had been unknown to me until recently. I had eaten industrialized food my whole life giving no thought to it. Even the food bought at the supermarkets comes from industrialized food companies. Obvious as it was, I had never noticed or given any thought to that. Almost every American eats with only that in mind; eating. They don’t think about where their food comes from or how it tastes, only about fulfilling their appetite.
Analyze:
The IFS is the primary source of U.S. nutrition because it is so fast, easily produced, and so cheap. Most Americans are so busy during their work day, they have to look for the most convenient, cheapest source of food. It is for this reason that the IFS is so successful.
There are many issues with the IFS, one of which being the diet of the animals. Corn is the main source of nutrition for these, the reason being that corn is the cheapest and easiest to grow, and it helps the animals grow fatter and faster. The animal’s stomachs are adept to digesting grass, they cannot digest the corn properly. Eventually, it causes their manure to become so toxic that it cannot be used to fertilize crops. The manure is instead dumped into a large pool of waste called “Manure Lagoons”. When it rains, this waste is leaked into rivers and eventually leads back to us. What once was a system in which there was essentially no waste, there is now almost nothing but waste.
These animals are also fed other animals, causing disease to spread (i.e. mad cow disease.) Because the main goal of the IFS is speed, mistakes are often made in cutting the meat. This causes the contents of the intestines to spill out all over the meat; shit is getting in our meat. The treatment of the animals is also a big issue in the IFS. They are crammed into small spaces with up to thousands of other animals, making disease much easier to spread. In the entire process, they are treated as though they’re already meat.
Another problem is with the workers in the factories and the fields of these plants. Most of the workers are immigrants, 2 million per year, having to work 10-12 hour shifts with no breaks for water or to use the bathroom. To earn minimum wage, they have to pick at least 4,000-5,000 pounds of tomatoes. The work pace is so intense and fast, that some of the workers begin taking methamphetamine in order to deal with the work conditions. A lot of them end up getting injured because of it. The essence of IFS is the most efficient, productive, cheapest way of achieving mass genocide.
Evaluation:
Any profit made goes to the owners of the companies. For the American community, the IFS seems to make more waste than profit. IFS got to where it is today because of America’s obsession with speed and money, and lack of morality. This tells us that, if we had morality to begin with, most of it has been lost and replaced with the motive for money and efficiency.
Food Class
Industrial Food Paper
Describe:
The Industrial Food System is a food system in which food products are mass produced in factories in the cheapest way possible. Almost everyone is involved; the workers producing it, the company owners making a profit off it, and everyone who buys/eats it. This industry is treated like any other industry; its only goal is optimum efficiency. My experience with it, like most people, had been unknown to me until recently. I had eaten industrialized food my whole life giving no thought to it. Even the food bought at the supermarkets comes from industrialized food companies. Obvious as it was, I had never noticed or given any thought to that. Almost every American eats with only that in mind; eating. They don’t think about where their food comes from or how it tastes, only about fulfilling their appetite.
Analyze:
The IFS is the primary source of U.S. nutrition because it is so fast, easily produced, and so cheap. Most Americans are so busy during their work day, they have to look for the most convenient, cheapest source of food. It is for this reason that the IFS is so successful.
There are many issues with the IFS, one of which being the diet of the animals. Corn is the main source of nutrition for these, the reason being that corn is the cheapest and easiest to grow, and it helps the animals grow fatter and faster. The animal’s stomachs are adept to digesting grass, they cannot digest the corn properly. Eventually, it causes their manure to become so toxic that it cannot be used to fertilize crops. The manure is instead dumped into a large pool of waste called “Manure Lagoons”. When it rains, this waste is leaked into rivers and eventually leads back to us. What once was a system in which there was essentially no waste, there is now almost nothing but waste.
These animals are also fed other animals, causing disease to spread (i.e. mad cow disease.) Because the main goal of the IFS is speed, mistakes are often made in cutting the meat. This causes the contents of the intestines to spill out all over the meat; shit is getting in our meat. The treatment of the animals is also a big issue in the IFS. They are crammed into small spaces with up to thousands of other animals, making disease much easier to spread. In the entire process, they are treated as though they’re already meat.
Another problem is with the workers in the factories and the fields of these plants. Most of the workers are immigrants, 2 million per year, having to work 10-12 hour shifts with no breaks for water or to use the bathroom. To earn minimum wage, they have to pick at least 4,000-5,000 pounds of tomatoes. The work pace is so intense and fast, that some of the workers begin taking methamphetamine in order to deal with the work conditions. A lot of them end up getting injured because of it. The essence of IFS is the most efficient, productive, cheapest way of achieving mass genocide.
Evaluation:
Any profit made goes to the owners of the companies. For the American community, the IFS seems to make more waste than profit. IFS got to where it is today because of America’s obsession with speed and money, and lack of morality. This tells us that, if we had morality to begin with, most of it has been lost and replaced with the motive for money and efficiency.
what peopl should eat
Guido Gonzalez
Food Class
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is based on the dietary patterns of Mediterranean countries, mainly Greece and Southern Italy. (Wikipedia) It is not only a healthy diet, it is also very enjoyable, and would be easy for Americans to pick up. If consumed correctly it can offer many health benefits. It very accessible to most Americans; pretty much anything in this diet can be found in your nearest supermarket. There is a low consumption of animals so by doing this diet, you reduce your contribution to the industrialized killing and horrible treatment of animals. This diet is a very good way for people to eat.
The Mediterranean diet consists of eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil, small amounts of nuts, red wine, very little amounts of red meat, and eating fish on a regular basis. The fruits and vegetables themselves are already considered very healthy as well as enjoyable. The “healthy fats,” which include olive oil, canola oil, and walnuts, contain the omega-3 fatty acids that Americans are so concerned about getting. A light intake of red wine helps prevent blood clotting. Fish is eaten on a regular basis, and it also contains the omega-3 fatty acids. (MayoClinic) As can be seen from the information here, this is a very healthy diet.
This diet is easily accessible for most Americans. Anything for this diet can be bought at nearly any supermarket. All anyone really needs to do is be an informed consumer and smart shopper. One should buy (or grow their own) fresh fruits and vegetables, reduce their intake of red meat, and eat fish at least once a week. One must also keep away from saturated fat and trans fat. (MayoClinic) This is all relatively simple and easy to do, which proves its availability to people.
Because of its low intake of red meat, anyone on this diet contributes less to the cruel treatment and killing of animals, and the worker issues that are involved with the factories that produce the meat. This makes this diet more ethically correct than most American diets.
In conclusion, this diet can be a very successful one. It has the health benefits of the omega-3 acids and the heart-healthy benefits of red wine. It is easily accessible to pretty much everyone, and is more ethically correct than most American diets. The Mediterranean diet is a very good way for people to eat.
Food Class
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is based on the dietary patterns of Mediterranean countries, mainly Greece and Southern Italy. (Wikipedia) It is not only a healthy diet, it is also very enjoyable, and would be easy for Americans to pick up. If consumed correctly it can offer many health benefits. It very accessible to most Americans; pretty much anything in this diet can be found in your nearest supermarket. There is a low consumption of animals so by doing this diet, you reduce your contribution to the industrialized killing and horrible treatment of animals. This diet is a very good way for people to eat.
The Mediterranean diet consists of eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil, small amounts of nuts, red wine, very little amounts of red meat, and eating fish on a regular basis. The fruits and vegetables themselves are already considered very healthy as well as enjoyable. The “healthy fats,” which include olive oil, canola oil, and walnuts, contain the omega-3 fatty acids that Americans are so concerned about getting. A light intake of red wine helps prevent blood clotting. Fish is eaten on a regular basis, and it also contains the omega-3 fatty acids. (MayoClinic) As can be seen from the information here, this is a very healthy diet.
This diet is easily accessible for most Americans. Anything for this diet can be bought at nearly any supermarket. All anyone really needs to do is be an informed consumer and smart shopper. One should buy (or grow their own) fresh fruits and vegetables, reduce their intake of red meat, and eat fish at least once a week. One must also keep away from saturated fat and trans fat. (MayoClinic) This is all relatively simple and easy to do, which proves its availability to people.
Because of its low intake of red meat, anyone on this diet contributes less to the cruel treatment and killing of animals, and the worker issues that are involved with the factories that produce the meat. This makes this diet more ethically correct than most American diets.
In conclusion, this diet can be a very successful one. It has the health benefits of the omega-3 acids and the heart-healthy benefits of red wine. It is easily accessible to pretty much everyone, and is more ethically correct than most American diets. The Mediterranean diet is a very good way for people to eat.
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