One way that the interconnectivity of topics is highlighted in this class is through contemplative practices, like the activities with the cocoa nib or the raisin. The activity with the cocoa nib was the most eye opening because of how much labor and exploitation that takes place from the time the cocoa is harvested to the time it is consumed as an m&m. When we were eating the cocoa nib in class we were also watching a video how the people of developed nations are able to enjoy chocolate candy for a very cheap price because the cocoa used to make these candies is harvested through child labor in third world countries. The cocoa is then put through a series of industrialized processes to sweeten and dye the cocoa into chocolate. Another food that has become industrialized and highlighted through contemplative practices is raisins. While eating the raisins in class we watched a video of the way raisins were harvested before and after industrialization. Before the grapes were hand picked and dried in the sun, after industrialization the grapes are picked with a giant machine, and people were removed from the entire process. Both of the contemplative practices showed how industrialized food has help further propagate global food and wealth disparities as well force people out of work. In the practice with the cocoa nib one could observe that corporations making millions on chocolate candy are able to make such enormous profits by exploiting child labor and then using industrialized processes to turn cheap cocoa into profitable chocolate. In the activity with the raisin one can observe that the industrialization of food is making people obsolete in agriculture leaving entire populations faced with having to find new ways to support themselves.
