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Gregory Amis
DeVry University
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Position Paper
The problem of world hunger is a growing problem as the population increases. Several
possible solutions have been proposed, with one of the most widely supported options being to
genetically modify crops and other food sources. For example, a watermelon could theoretically
be developed that would grow to four times its normal size. However, scientists have yet to
confirm the long-term effects of genetically modified foods on human beings. What most people
dont realize though is that the foods that we currently eat have their own detriments. The nonfiction book Omnivores Dilemma written by Michael Pollan explores the various food chains
that sustain humans as unselective omnivores. The following essay will look at the industrial vs.
organic food chains and how they are examined in the Omnivores Dilemma.
The Industrial food system in which the majority of the populations nourishment
is produced is the first thing scrutinized in Pollans book. The author explains how corn became
the base of the American diet from various contexts, and epitomizes the industrial food chain
describing the end result as a fast food meal. The industrial food chain is looked at as a negative
result of the American technological revolution and Americans desire for low cost, profit, and
making things easier to obtain. The corn reliance has only been increasing as the amount of foods
with high fructose corn syrup continues to escalate. Even the animals which provide a meat
source for Americans are fed a mixture made primarily of corn. The interesting thing is that corn
requires the human race for survival. Because the crop depletes nutrients in the soil, people must
constantly be rotating crops in order to make sure the ground remains fertile. This section of the
book mainly communicates that the industrial food chain, while efficient and convenient, is
harmful to both humans and the animals involved.
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The organic side of the food market is currently drawing a large following in the
wake of numerous movies and books such as this one that take a look behind the curtains of food
production. Organic food is seen as the more environmentally friendly and morally responsible
option of buying food. For the part, most this is true. Organic food production is not only better
for the animals used to make food, but it is also better for the people that consume it. Without
unnatural chemicals and processing, the food remains safer and more pure. In Omnivores
Dilemma, the organic food market is shown to have forgotten its original anti-industrial ideals as
more and more pastoral farmers are using technology found in industrial agriculture. Pollan
examines the organic food market from two sides. First, the more industrial side, which produces
food that one would find in a Whole Foods Market. Pollan then visits a farm that uses little, if
any industrial methods and prepares a meal using only food grown on small-scale farms.
It is clear when comparing these two examinations that the pastoral food chain is
much healthier and beneficial than the industrial counterpart. Although it is important to note that
even the organic food market is being influenced by technology and industrial principles.
Furthermore, the economical feasibility of implementing a food production system that utilizes
entirely organic methods is questionable. Much of the reason that the industrial food chain is the
most popular is that it is capable of producing inexpensive food on a large scale in order to feed
the majority of Americans. This is why the organic market is now succumbing to the pressures of
a larger demand pool, employing industrial systems in their food manufacture. This just goes to
demonstrate a major theme in this book, that widely-held beliefs about food and its creation and
distribution are often false. When examining the actual processes involved in the food industry,
the real story is revealed. This book displays how dangerous it can be to take certain assumptions
too seriously without knowing the actual truth behind them. Taking this kind of stance in regards
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to information invites ignorance and misinformation, which is exactly what has happened in the
food industry. Omnivores Dilemma exposes the food productions industry for what it really is,
and the results are somewhat unsettling.
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Reference
Pollan, M. (2006). The omnivores dilemma: A natural history of four meals. The Penguin
Press. Retrieved from http://michaelpollan.com/books/the-omnivores-dilemma/