Michael Pollan’s “Farmer in Chief” and Jim Hightower’s “Wal-Mart vs. Hightower” reveal how the health of the American people suffers because of the systematic way food is produced in todays modern society and how the corrupt maneuvering of America’s largest retailers deceive the consumer. The way in which cattle are raised with unnatural foods, such as corn, and the way that the animals are injected with harmful chemical substances are both factors that keep driving the price of food lower and lower. These low prices make it possible for large corporations (such as Wal-Mart) to close small businesses and offer low-wage jobs to people that cannot support the average American family. These practices have had a detrimental effect on the American
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Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes are four of the top ten reasons for death in America. All four reasons can be attributed to diet and are preventable. The peaceful-looking farms plastered on the labels of food products are commonly accepted as what farms today look like; there is nothing serene about how food is produced today. The dairy and meat food process starts with Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). These CAFOs can also be recognized as factory farms, which are designed to produce a large quantity of cheap calories, making it possible for the average American to consume 190 pounds of meat alone in a given year. CAFOs have also brought a lot of problems to the food industry. The animals are fed large quantities of cheap surplus grains such as corn. These surplus grains have taken the nutrients of soil and are injected with fast growth chemicals. These chemicals are then transferred to humans when they eat the meat of one of these animals. CAFOs have also been a cause for environmental concerns. When animals were let to roam around in the open fields, their waste was “regarded as a precious source of fertility on the farm” (190). Today, factory farm animals spend most of their lives up to their ankles in their own waste and “are one of America’s biggest sources of pollution” (190). Because there is no way to easily get rid of the waste, it becomes possible for …show more content…
Michael Pollan and Jim Hightower have pointed out the food industry and corporations like Wal-Mart are not for the people. Facts about the food industry have shown it is neither safe, nor healthy for human consumption with all of the chemicals and unsecure food policies in place to check the food. In the 1970’s, there were about 50,000 food safety inspections done on food products. Today, that number has decreased to about 9,000, even though the amount of processing has gone up and the probability for contamination has gone up along with it. The Wal-Mart Corporation has proven that while it advertises itself as a positive influence for the economy by offering the lowest prices possible, it would pick a larger profit margin over anything else. In January of 2014, it was reported that Wal-Mart made a profit of about 26 billion dollars. Even though this kind of money is being made, employees are still only making minimum wage and receiving little to no benefits. It is also impossible to overlook the sheer number of jobs lost due to the outsourcing Wal-Mart does to keep their prices low. The two authors have proven that these two industries are the controlling forces behind American economy. The deceit of the industry leaders can be easily covered up if there is enough power
Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes are four of the top ten reasons for death in America. All four reasons can be attributed to diet and are preventable. The peaceful-looking farms plastered on the labels of food products are commonly accepted as what farms today look like; there is nothing serene about how food is produced today. The dairy and meat food process starts with Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). These CAFOs can also be recognized as factory farms, which are designed to produce a large quantity of cheap calories, making it possible for the average American to consume 190 pounds of meat alone in a given year. CAFOs have also brought a lot of problems to the food industry. The animals are fed large quantities of cheap surplus grains such as corn. These surplus grains have taken the nutrients of soil and are injected with fast growth chemicals. These chemicals are then transferred to humans when they eat the meat of one of these animals. CAFOs have also been a cause for environmental concerns. When animals were let to roam around in the open fields, their waste was “regarded as a precious source of fertility on the farm” (190). Today, factory farm animals spend most of their lives up to their ankles in their own waste and “are one of America’s biggest sources of pollution” (190). Because there is no way to easily get rid of the waste, it becomes possible for …show more content…
Michael Pollan and Jim Hightower have pointed out the food industry and corporations like Wal-Mart are not for the people. Facts about the food industry have shown it is neither safe, nor healthy for human consumption with all of the chemicals and unsecure food policies in place to check the food. In the 1970’s, there were about 50,000 food safety inspections done on food products. Today, that number has decreased to about 9,000, even though the amount of processing has gone up and the probability for contamination has gone up along with it. The Wal-Mart Corporation has proven that while it advertises itself as a positive influence for the economy by offering the lowest prices possible, it would pick a larger profit margin over anything else. In January of 2014, it was reported that Wal-Mart made a profit of about 26 billion dollars. Even though this kind of money is being made, employees are still only making minimum wage and receiving little to no benefits. It is also impossible to overlook the sheer number of jobs lost due to the outsourcing Wal-Mart does to keep their prices low. The two authors have proven that these two industries are the controlling forces behind American economy. The deceit of the industry leaders can be easily covered up if there is enough power