During the past 40 years, our food system has changed more than in the previous 40,000 years. Genetically modified corn and soybeans, cloned animals, McNuggets — none of these technological marvels existed in 1970. The concentrated economic power now prevalent in U.S. agriculture didn’t exist, either. For example, in 1970 the four largest meatpacking companies slaughtered about 21 percent of America’s cattle; today the four largest companies slaughter about 85 percent. The beef industry is more concentrated now than it was in 1906, when Upton Sinclair published “The Jungle” and criticized the unchecked power of the “Beef Trust.” The markets for pork, poultry, grain, farm chemicals and seeds have also become highly concentrated.
America’s ranchers and farmers are suffering from this lack of competition for their goods. In 1970, farmers received about 32 cents for every consumer dollar spent on food; today they get about 16 cents. The average farm household now earns about 87 percent of its income from non-farm sources.
While small farmers and their families have been forced to take second jobs just to stay on their land, wealthy farmers have received substantial help from the federal government. Between 1995 and 2009, about $250 billion in federal subsidies was given directly to American farmers — and about three-quarters of that money was given to the wealthiest 10 percent. Those are the farmers whom the Farm Bureau represents, the ones attacking “big government” and calling the sustainability movement elitist.
Foodies justify their elitism by how much they “love food” and their knowledge and understanding of it. It’s made clear to me by experience that many people, including foodies are unaware of many aspects of their food. The foodies that I am familiar with are great enthusiasts for food, preparation of food, and presentation. When facing a foodie and asking them to eat a simple piece of food whether vegetable, fruit, or animal product, they would suggest other ways to prepare it, present it, and what to pair it with.
The true love of food, comes when one can appreciate each and every piece, each and every molecule for its own unique structure, taste, and texture in its most purest untouched form.
(Source: azspot)