- Why are seed cleaners going out of business across the US? What US Supreme Court ruling paved the way for this? What do you think about this process?
Seed cleaning is becoming increasingly difficult because of patenting rights that have been granted to multinational biotech corporations like Monsanto. These companies have state consent to control and ensure only sanctioned seed is planted and to sue farmers who violate these provisions. It is such laws that have driven seed cleaners out of the market particularly because these companies carry out surveillance and famers who are convicted pay hefty fines (GM Watch). The most significant of these laws is the H.R. 875 (111th), Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 which was enacted by the US Supreme and established the Food and Safety Administration (FDA). This law gave monopoly of the seed industry to Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta (Rayelan). The process was not straightforward because Monsanto had been accused of bribery and the husband of Congresswoman, Rosa DeLauro (she sponsored the bill), was said to own one of the interested companies, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (Snopes.com).
2. Why is meat so cheap in the US, compared to other countries and compared to fruits and vegetables? Describe the major pieces in the cheap meat-producing food ‘system’ in the US. Would you describe this as a ‘free market’ without government intervention? Why or why not?
Meat is cheap in the US compared to other countries and to fruits and vegetables because of the manner in which animals are reared and the food they eat. Animals are conditioned to grow faster than normal by being fed corn-based feeds and antibiotics. These feeds are cheaper because corn farming is subsidized (Kirby) through the Farm Bill. Secondly, these feeds are cheaper than grass, fatten the animals faster and do not require animals to roam. Consequently, animals can be concentrated in smaller spaces which in turn make them unhealthy. Since the cost of production of meat is cheap the final product is relatively inexpensive (Chefs Collaborative). This is not a free market without government control because the government has instituted legislation that favors one party. In a liberalized market, farmers would be allowed to purchase or produce seeds from multiple sources.
3. What are some of the real ‘costs’ of cheap meat in the US? [Discuss three. Hint: environmental, health, labor, etc.]
Cheap meat is actually not cheap (Kirby) because it comes at a very high cost to human health, the environment and the economy among others. It has been established through research that eating meat excessively makes people vulnerable to diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular illnesses. The meat produced from unhealthy animals living in crowded sheds is also harmful to human health because it causes digestive diseases. Moreover, most of these animals and fowls are often injected with antibiotics and this makes humans who consume them resistant to some treatments. Further, there is a possibility of a proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment if animals are fed on low doses of antibiotics and their manure is mixed with the soil. If the environment is contaminated, humans will experience more sicknesses. In addition, studies have shown that animals are some of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gases emission especially carbon dioxide and anthropogenic nitrous oxide. Further, people who live in close proximity to factories are exposed to harmful gases, water pollution and consequently diseases. Economically, individuals, families and entire states will have to spend a lot of money in treating diseases related to meat consumption. In essence, the cost of treatment makes the actual cost of meat very high ((Chefs Collaborative).
4. Are people who eat fast food simply making ‘poor individual choices’?
The eating of fast food is obviously a poor dietary choice by an individual but an option that is sometimes unavoidable. It is evident that in most cases this is the only type of food that is available and cheaper than healthier options (Dolgoff). The market is flooded with such food with restrictive laws making it harder for farmers to produce cheaper fruits and vegetables. To help people eat healthier, the government should encourage the growing of kitchen gardens in homes (instead of enacting oppressive laws); emphasize on balanced diets and come up with laws to regulate the food industry in a manner that curtails the sale of junk food.
Works Cited
Chefs Collaborative. “Why is Conventional Beef So Cheap?” Chefs Collaborative. 4 May 2011.
Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
Dolgoff, Joanna. “Healthy Fast Food: Is Fast Food Always Bad For You?” Huffington Post. 6
Jun. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
GM. Watch. “Monsanto is Putting Normal Seeds out of Reach.” GM Watch. 12 Feb. 2009. Web.
23 Nov. 2013.
Kirby, Michael. “How Much is Meat Really Costing Us.” ABC Environment. 21 Jun. 2013. Web.
23 Nov. 2013.
Rayelan. “Monsanto Uses Congresswoman DeLauro to Outlaw Organic Farming and Backyard
Gardeners.” Rumourmillnews.com. 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
Snopes.com. “Food Safety Modernization Act.” Snopes.com. 23 Dec. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
