Transparency

Dana and Georgia

"Yet the organic label itself – like every other such label in the supermarket – is really just an imperfect substitute for direct observation of how a food is produced, a concession to the reality that most people in an industrial society haven't the time or the inclination to follow their food back to the farm…" (223)

"Most of the meat in our supermarkets simply couldn't withstand that degree of transparency; if the bar code on the typical package of pork chops summoned images of the CAFO it came from, and information of the pig's diet and drug regimen, who could bring themselves to buy it?" (396)

"Our food system depends on consumers' not knowing much about it beyond the price disclosed by the checkout scanner." (396)

"Joel and Bev are concerned there isn’t a world of difference between Whole Foods and Wal-Mart. Both are part of an increasingly globalized economy that turns anything it touches into a commodity, reaching its tentacles wherever in the world a food can be produced most cheaply, and then transporting it wherever it can be sold most dearly" (403).

"At least that's what I discovered when I traced a few of the items in my Whole Food cart back to the farms where they were grown. I learned, for example, that some (certainly not all) organic milk comes from factory farms, where thousands of Holsteins that never encounter a blade of grass spend their days confined to a fenced 'dry lot,' eating (certified organic) grain and tethered to milking machines three times a day" (227).

DRAFT:

There is much more to a label than you may think. what makes the price? are the animals truly raised organically? "Our food system depends on consumers' not knowing much about it beyond the price disclosed by the checkout scanner." (396) For example, Whold Foods Markets are spread across the nation and is considered by most, a very easy way to get healthy and organic food. "That's what I discovered when I traced a few of the items in my Whole Food cart back to the farms where they were grown. I learned, for example, that some (certainly not all) organic milk comes from factory farms, where thousands of Holsteins that never encounter a blade of grass spend their days confined to a fenced 'dry lot,' eating (certified organic) grain and tethered to milking machines three times a day" (227). So I ask you, how is Whole Foods possibly organic when their products can be traced back to factories? The organic food industry is building itself up and tying itself in with many lies and overlooked aspects. According to what Michael Pollan says, the industry is all words and promises. Places like Whole Foods trick you and wont deliver.

The organic foods market is growing by 20% a year now, but what I want to know is, how much of that food is actually organic?

So what does this mean to you as a consumer? Well it means that you don't always get what's printed on a label. To know the true makings of the product, you must think about the background of the animal or plant. How was the cow raised? How was the plant grown? Important questions like these will help decide if you are eating the right kinds of foods. Michael Pollan once said, "Most of the meat in our supermarkets simply couldn't withstand that degree of transparency; if the bar code on the typical package of pork chops summoned images of the CAFO it came from, and information of the pig's diet and drug regimen, who could bring themselves to buy it?" (396). It's true that ignorance is bliss yet when it comes to what you are putting in your body, it's best to know the truth. The USDA has created three types of organic foods. 100% Organic, Organic (more than 95%), and Made with Organic Ingredients (at least 70%). These small details will help you when deciding the type of product you are looking for. So next time you enter a supermarket looking for your favorite dinner, check the label carefully and think about where the food has came from to get to the store. Then decide if you want to eat it.