Human behavior towards the environment has allowed masses of natural habitats to change towards human needs. This current state of affairs is referred to as the Anthropocene epoch which scientists, geologists, sociologists, anthropologists and environmentalists all acknowledge that this is a stage which we have entered gradually, and which has a huge impact on our lives. The Anthropocene is a system that has emerged with human actions directly to the environment. For example, cutting away at mountains for minerals, marble; chopping down vast forests for wood and developing the land for either agriculture or city development. As the population increases around the world, currently at 7.5 billion people according to the census.gov, people are facing the serious questions such as how they can sustainably utilize resources on earth and how to feed themselves.
In industrialized western nations, food production is concentrated on certain crops which are mass produced. The food system is heavily controlled by government subsidies which helps farmers to grow certain food only because they will receive more financial benefit for doing so. Such examples include corn production which exceeds consumption and ends up as surplus. Some ways to use up surplus corn stock has been to provide it as food for animals, such as cow feed, or turn the corn into high fructose corn syrup which is an ingredient found in many high sugar foods. While mass produced food items are produced to feed the population in the quickest way possible, it also allows for cheap food concept.
Cheap food is systematically available because western countries control how they will trade with others internationally. For example, in Burkina Faso, a country in Africa, growers are encouraged to produce the green bean because they have been given an incentive by France that the beans will be purchased by the French market. However, if the bean crop in effected or not enough is produced for the French requirement, they can demand a lower purchase price, which allows them to sell the beans at a cheaper cost to their consumers in France.
References:
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
https://www.census.gov/popclock/
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