INDUSTRIAL FOOD PRODUCTION By Dustin Koehler
WHAT DO YOU KNOW? Is farming an art or science? How is food produced in your country? What percentage of the population is involved in food production? Are there any laws or traditions that dictate how food can and must be produced?
FOOD PRODUCTION HOW FOOD GETS FROM HERE to HERE
FOOD PRODUCTION The process of getting food from the producers to the consumers is long and complicated. Producers grow and sell their raw vegetables and animals to processors, who slaughter animals and package vegetables. Processors send the finished product to distributers. Distributers take the processed food to retailers, like restaurants and supermarkets. Retailers sell the food to consumers, who eat it on location or prepare it at home.
TRADITIONAL FARMING Farms traditionally have wide varieties of animals and crops that allowed for symbiotic relationships between species.
MODERN MONOCULTURES For a variety of reasons, many agribusinesses have taken advantage by growing certain crops exclusively.
DECREASE IN FARMERS The percentage of American workers who are employed in the agricultural field has dropped nearly 90%.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? There are several reasons for this shift in food production: Agricultural Subsidies Chemical Fertilizers Pesticides Selective Breeding
AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES During the Great Depression, the government gave farmers subsidies that helped support crop prices and keep farmers in business.
CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS Using the surplus ammonium nitrate from WWII munitions, fertilizers have allowed for more productive crops and fields.
PESTICIDES Farmers use chemical pesticides to kill insects and other pests that attack their crops.
SELECTIVE BREEDING Agricultural companies like Monsanto have developed highly productive varieties of crops through selective breeding and genetic engineering.
FARMING EQUIPMENT New motorized equipment allow farmers to plow, plant, and harvest crops much more quickly.
BENEFITS OF INDUSTRIAL FOOD PRODUCTION How can industrial food production benefit the practice of farming? How does industrial food production benefit society and individuals?
DECREASED PRICES Since the 1930s, the percentage of income spent on food has dropped significantly.
INCREASED YIELDS Farmers are producing more food from less land than ever before.
FEEDING MORE PEOPLE More people can be fed using less land than ever before.
WIDE AVAILABILITY OF MEAT For much of human history, meat was a rare commodity. Now significantly more people can afford meat.
FOODS IN ALL SEASONS People can now get any type of food, no matter what season it is where they live.
LESS LABOR INTENSIVE Farming has become much less labor intensive. Farmers don t have to work as hard and can hire fewer workers.
COSTS OF INDUSTRIAL FOOD PRODUCTION What are the costs for plants and animals due to industrial food production? What are the costs to farmers? What are the costs to a society and its people?
ANIMAL CRUELTY Animals aren t machines. They are living creatures that shouldn t be fed foods they can t eat or pumped full of hormones.
ANIMAL CRUELTY They deserve to be treated humanely. They shouldn t be knee deep in their own feces.
ANIMAL CRUELTY They should be able to live somewhat as they do in nature, and say be able to turn around.
LOW QUALITY JOBS Most of the jobs are low paying, require long hours, and are labor intensive.
DISCONNECTION FROM FOOD SOURCES Because fewer and fewer Americans grow their own food or know someone who does, few people understand how our food is produced.
TURNING FARMING INTO INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE Farming used to be something akin to an art form. Now it is becoming a business much more akin to manufacturing.
AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION Fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste leak into the rivers and drinking water, contaminating them for plants, animals, and humans.
FOSSIL FUEL INTENSIVE Large scale production relies on industrial equipment, long distribution chains, and fossil fuel based fertilizers.
LOSS OF SPECIES DIVERSITY As agribusinesses concentrate solely on yield, other varieties of crops may become extinct.
DISEASES AND ILLNESSES Certain diseases, like salmonella, mad cow disease, and possibly even cancer, have become more prevalent.
LOSS OF FAMILY FARMS Big agribusinesses are pushing more and more farmers out of businesses because they can no longer compete.
FOOD, INC This film was made by Michael Pollan, an author of several books about modern food production and eating habits.
FOOD, INC The film examines modern industrial food production and the costs of such a system.
FOOD, INC You may never look at your food the same way again.