Comparing photos from Peter Menzel’s Hungry Planet, of both affluent and developing countries, I was instantly disturbed by the obvious differences between the United States and Ecuador. Both countries clearly differ when it comes to sustainability, wealth, and resources. In Ecuador we see food laid out on the floor of the cooking house, a bag of grains, a bag of rice, fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat, based on what is locally obtainable. In contrast we see a family kitchen filled with grocery store buys, consisting of overly processed food choices, minimal fresh options, and fast food. This disconnect is directly related to the un-even flaws of the Global Food System, and the political and economical demand of each culture.
In the US we have created a fast paced, high demand culture of low cost over quality especially when it comes t
o our food, to the point that most of what we eat is filled with preservatives, chemicals, and sugar. The cheaper the industry is able to produce, the more profit they gain, with nutrition falling second to profit. It’s this culture that has affected our economy as well as our health, which we see in the increase of obesity and diabetes. Unlike the US, Ecuador has a direct food supply as they eat mostly of the land, or fresh market buys. There are no commodity chains, or high priced middle men, food is available by what they grow and what little they are able to buy.
Another way to compare the differences of these two countries would be examining the industrial food system as a whole; the extraction of resources, distribution, production, and consumption within both regions, with respect to an individual’s choice. The system itself is unchangeable without the involvement or participation of the general population, one person does not have the power to change the entire system, there are too many chains within our commodity chains. The more we continue to grow, the more complex our food system gets. There would have to be government reform, new policies, reduction of cost and higher standards for food production.