Industrial agriculture

Industrialized Agriculture: Food for the Next Generation

I am surprised by my own ignorant approach to eating. Never in my life have I thought this intently about the source and nutrition of my next meal. When buying food from a supermarket, a local farmer’s market, at a restaurant or fast food drive-thru, it do not consider that my diet has consequences reaching far beyond personalsatisfaction and taste. Like other economic shoppers, I look for products with low prices and visible quality, a trusted brand name, weekly specials or discount coupons. For snacking I have my established favorites: Oreo cookies dunked in a glass of milk, Skippy peanut butter spread on a toasted bagel, Yoplait mango yogurt, and Frosted Flakes cereal with sliced bananas and strawberries tossed in. Igrew up on familiar brand names and recognizable packaging, but also on homemade cookies and pancakes from scratch. I grew up on home-cooked meals and school sack lunches, made with love by my parents. Now I live on my own; I buy my own groceries, prepare my own meals, and make my own sack lunches. Now, finally, after twenty years of buying and eating without concern, I see myself on the road tobecoming a conscious consumer and proactively utilizing my power to make informed decisions about the food I buy. But first, I have to replace ignorance and indifference with knowledge and a plan of action.
The following is an analysis of my own relationship with food, evolving alongside the investigative process undertaken for this paper.

What Matters?
Asking questions is the best way forpeople to ensure that the products they purchase are sustainably grown, healthy foods that support sustainable farmers. Getting to know the farm where you buy your food will help bring you closer to those who produce it, and enable you to know that you are supporting fair labor practices. When I set foot in a grocery store for the first time since the start of my food re-evaluation, I wasdetermined to “vote” for quality products through careful selection. Anxiety instantly set in and I felt overwhelmed almost to the point of heading right for the exit. With so many options, I ended up spending considerable time inspecting packaging and labels, looking for some clue that could comfort my doubts about the product’s origin. I quickly realized that I had little to no knowledge about anyof the Spanish name brands and knew even less about the companies’ production and labor policies. In that moment, I wanted a guide to appear and lead me through the now-daunting process of grocery shopping; an expert or rule book that could help me make all my purchasing decisions.
Actually, “food guidance” is plentiful and easily accessible. As soon as I began asking questions about food andits different markets, I was led continuously from resource to resource, each of them catering to the same mission: increasing transparency and awareness regarding the multifaceted food and agricultural industry. In general, consumers must ask several key questions when they write a grocery list and fill a shopping cart. Sustainable agriculture involves food production methods that are healthy,do not harm the environment, respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities. Eco-labeling is a method of identifying products that cause less damage to the environment than other products. Labels such as Fair Trade, organic, Food Alliance certified, raised without antibiotics, etc. are examples of the wide selection of eco-labels that carrydifferent criteria and varying degrees of legitimacy. While some labels indicate that food was produced according to strict guidelines, enforced and verified by third-party food-certifying agencies, other labels are self-awarded by food producers. The Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels provides helpful information for people who are conscious of the positive impact eco-labeled...