Blog post 2 Robert Diaz
This blog post will be influenced by take away 5 and parts of lecture. I previously mentioned in my take away journal the true cost of cheap food. Just because food is cheap doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you and it also doesn’t mean that didn’t have a negative impact elsewhere on in the world in regards of distribution purposes. For instance, in my take away I used Walmart as an example how them dropping prices so low that local farmers cannot compete therefore; forcing small local farmers out of business.
Also, international trade and global inequities, like chocolate for instance. Big nations like America, United Kingdom, Japan, and many many other nations use high amounts of chocolate and we all enjoy it, there are tens of thousands of far less fortunate people in 3rd world nations being enslaved to harvest the beans that make chocolate that we enjoy each and every day while these workers suffer and have little to almost no true value in life at all. Meanwhile, the chocolate industry is covers this evil with advertisements, pretty labels and sweet sugar to make us addicted to such a lovely substance Lastly, the other thing I took away from lecture was the way we generalize and identify food with people. I mentioned that Protein is seen as a more masculine supplement and the more of it you have the more masculine you will become with more muscle mass. This suggests sometimes why woman stay away from too much protein, or at least certain types of protein like whey or casein, so they don’t get too bulky. I found that interesting that how we allow something as simple as protein to shadow the way we look at ourselves.
I ponder on how our food is delivered to us not just by trucks, boats, trains, and planes. But also, its delivered to us by gender distribution, sex, race, class and more. The world around us is being labeled right in front of our own eyes and it for the most part, goes unnoticed. The question I ask, what is or can be the impact of this?
I enjoy reading your blog. Mainly, I like a part of the sentence is that “The world around us is being labeled right in front of our own eyes and it for the most part, goes unnoticed.” Because we can easily see the nutrition facts on the back side of your food item and it doesn’t seem like the producer fill out the nutrient correctly and in detail. We always buy food. But we don’t know exactly where the foods come from and the process of the food how they are made.
Your post sheds light on some very important issues that can’t be studied in isolation from the global food distribution system. Nutritionism and the system of patriarchy, or the system of gender-based oppression have intersected to produce a gendered-lens of viewing human sustenance. While there is some scientific backing to certain claims, it is clear that claims which associate protein intake to masculinity aren’t made with consideration of the impact on individuals, rather systems operate to benefit those closest to the means of production. It seems that patriarchy and other systems of oppression are finding nutritionism to be profitable, so long as systems overlook detrimental results along the way, I hope that the system will lose credibility over time and collapse without the backing of the people.
Hey Robert,
I couldn’t agree more with the message behind your words. We’ve increased access by making food cheaper in many ways. But, some of these practices are, indeed, unsustainable and damaging local businesses and driving people away from agricultural practice. Good example with Walmart and local farmers. With the issue pertaining to chocolate, I found myself absolutely surprised when we saw that the cocoa workers were so undervalued that many had not gotten the opportunity to taste chocolate themselves. We’re outsourcing our labor and collecting most, if not all, of the yield. Lastly, I like what you mentioned about protein. I would expand that sentiment too to other food fads and preferences and that these immediate choices are so distant from their roots that it’s easy to forget where our food comes from beyond the grocery store. It’s easy to forget that there’s a whole system in place to get food to us as easy as possible.
Your post sheds light onto the broad impacts of the world food system and how it disenfranchises communities (especially those in third world countries) to benefit those in developed nations who have the privilege to access such foods. I think the effects go so much deeper than we realize. These families have no certainty for a hopeful future. They are not able to make ends meet no matter how har they try. There is not a social ladder for individuals of third world countries to climb. We have made it so incredibly difficult for these individuals to not even thrive, but to simply survive. All for what? So we can selfishly enjoy our bar of chocolate or our artisanal coffee? Like you touched on above, these are the realities of our food system and it is devastatingly harsh.
What can we do about it though. We hear all the time that there are food choices that we can make that will create less of an impact and will help farmers receive fair treatment. However, even these solutions, as we have learned in class are not full proof. There does not seem to be a perfect solution. Is there ever? Some people say to change to a vegan diet, while others suggest eating locally. These solutions still subject farm workers to adverse conditions. How do we create systemic change that creates positive change across the board?