Welcome to dirty, bad, and unfair foods America: care for some drugs in your meat?
How about a side of heart disease? Now you can wash it all down with a cup of toxic nitrate
water. The industrial food chain has created ethical larcenies, which go against human welfare
and environmental responsibility, all for the sake of cheap profit. Americans are now
increasingly becoming aware of the production our food supply undergoes prior to reaching our
diner plates, and the process is appalling. Great public demand and belief for alternative food
choices, opposed to the industrial dilemma, has given birth to the rise of Whole Foods and
Farmers Markets. Compared to Whole Foods, Farmers Markets is a better alternative to
industrial agriculture because it offers eco-friendly, healthy, and honest food solutions.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by author Michael Pollan, is a book offering in depth analysis
of America’s agriculture system, and has exposed many industrial food atrocities. Industrial
agricultural science has evolved the natural procedures behind how farmers grow their food and
dictate how nature can do her job more accurately. Pollan suggests, “The industrial food chain
has found a way to compromise nature and turn a simple efficient plan nature intended into two
problems waste and disease” (68). The over consumption and over production of genetically
modified food organisms are causing devastating environmental and public health issues. Longterm negative health effects include obesity, heart disease, and antibiotic resistant super bugs.
Unhealthy food production, polluted CAFO’s, and animal disease control antibiotics are the main culprits behind why the food we currently eat is neither healthy, nor is it whole. Pollan suggests “the environment also suffers impact from synthetic nitrate fertilizer and concentrated animal
farm operation runoff, which renders the land and water toxic, thus creating aquatic dead zones,
specifically in the Gulf of Mexico, measuring the size of New Jersey.” (33) Animal and human
health, in conjunction with environmental sustainability, are key elements to ensure the survival
of our future. Farmers Markets and Whole Foods have created omnivore awareness with a
movement that advocates the imperativeness of creating eco-friendly, honest, and healthy foods
for conscious eaters.
Big industrial organic is not without its drawbacks however, as it is said to sacrifice
ideals to compete on a super market level. As Pollan quotes, “the process of industrialization will
cost organic its soul.” (133) Large-scale industrial organic farming, has undermined the logic of
local farmers using polyculture methods, for that of monoculture techniques, which waste huge
amounts of energy to process and ship foods on a conventional supply chain.
Local produce by definition is seasonal. Whole Foods markets stretch the meaning
behind local and cause environmental pollution and fossil fuel waste, by importing seasonal
items from around the world, adding to the irony of being eco-friendly. Are Americans really
that spoiled? Do we really need the convenience of unseasonal foods be shipped half way around
the world? By importing apples from Washington and oranges from Florida, Whole Foods
markets belittle local farmers by supporting monoculture methods of agriculture. Monoculture
methods of agriculture cause environmental impacts similar to that of industrial agriculture, with
waste production and pesticides. Whole Foods offers produce that is, according to Pollen,
sprayed with government approved organic agents, such as pyrethrum and rotenone, which are
derived from plants.
On the other hand, Farmers Markets support local farmers, who utilize the availability of
polyculture methods, to fertilize their land and virtually produce no waste. The majority of
growers offering fruits and vegetables for sale, directly through trade outlets like Farmers
Market, practice methods for insect control that go above and beyond industrial organic, and
eliminate the need for pesticides entirely, through techniques of crop and animal rotation.
The amounts of energy to process and ship foods, through Farmers Markets, reign superior over
industrial organic agriculture because growers are local, thus cutting environmental pollution.
Farmers Markets clearly offer a more basic support of farmers who have the ability to remain
close to nature when it comes to growing their produce and finishing their beef, which in turn is
better for the people and the land. Local growers at Farmers Markets, waste less energy when
processing and transporting their products. Carlo Petrini states that re-localizing agriculture will
strengthen the economy and improve the quality of the environment. Fairness and social justice
to the farmers guarantees a future and ensures survival. (4)
Compared to Farmers’ Markets, industrial organics at Whole Foods, can be dishonest to
the publics understanding of organic food. Upon entering Whole Foods, Janis Joplin sings Bobby
McGee and a thunderstorm triggers a rain shower over the produce section, creating a nostalgic
connection to nature. Marketing in Whole Foods reveals an overwhelming amount of super
market pastoral designed to prompt harmony in the human brain and heart, and trigger a
profitable sale. Produce, meat products, and milk all display a misleading ideal story of genuine
family farmers bringing you fresh from the earth products. However, upon further investigation,
milk sold at Whole Foods comes from organic cows that are not living the luxury of natural farm
life as advertised. Natural and organic in the sense of free choice, grass fed, roaming on the
pasture, life. Nor, are the cows producing milk, which will fully benefit the health of the people.
On the other hand, honesty is very open at Farmers Markets, where a customer has the
means to judge a product based on direct conversation with the farmer. Milk found at Farmers
Markets is produced from grass fed cows. Vendors like Erin from Santa Paula, California
representing Fresh Family Farm, found Sunday’s at Hollywood Farmers Market between 9am
and 12 noon, on Sunset and the Southwest side of Ivar Street, wears a heartfelt smile and
displayed a genuine tone of clarity in her voice as she provided information about their business
practices and beliefs. She is aware and informative of her product and provides pictures of her
farm that are able to fulfill a vision of pastoral life. This is the closest you can get to the farm
without actually having to visit. Farmers markets offer customers a better opportunity to support
and develop deep relationships with their local farmers. Getting to know the farmers is a key
necessity in the honesty and reliability of product being sold at Farmers Markets.
So, what is the point of eating foods that do not provide the full benefit of essential micro
and macro nutrients and vitamins crucial to healthy longevity in the human body, simply because
of a corn compromise in the animal feed? Standards are always an issue when it comes to
organic. According to NPR radio broadcast 2008, there are questions arising with regards to the
standards by which milk can be certified as organic. (1) Currently, cattle can be considered
organic if they are fed organic certified corn, and remain on a dry lot tethered to a milking post 3
times a day. However, debate has surfaced regarding new regulations to mandate all organic milk
cows be allowed to graze on pasture year round to be considered certified. Benefits of raising
organic standards elevate the levels of public health, as the milk will produce more levels of
Omega 3 fatty acids.
Milk found at Farmers Markets is produced from grass fed cows and most food in
polyculture states, in turn; provide greater health benefits to consumers. Where there is no waste,
and harmony is finely tuned and occurring within nature, produce from polycultures, create
denser nutrient properties, like polyphenols. According to Pollan, “Polyphenols are a group of
secondary metabolites manufactured by plants that we’ve recently learned play an important role
in human nutrition. Many are potent antioxidants; some play a role in preventing and fighting
cancer; others exhibit antimicrobial properties.” (Pollan 179) Environmentally elevated standards
of farming and animal production create huge benefits for the health of the land and its people.
Henceforth, milk found at Farmers Markets is superior to that found at Whole Foods because it is
produced from grass fed cows, which truly live life on pasture.
Universally humans all depend upon the nutrition of food. Sadly, the current state
of affairs in food production has turned into a corporate conglomerate dictatorship. With
educated shoppers and wholesome food choices on the rise, alternatives to industrial agriculture
will continue to grow and evolve through food outlets such as Whole Foods and Farmers
Market’s. Everything is connected to each other in one harmonious dance, which transcends and
evolves with each other. Healthier choices are available to the public who are prepared and
dedicated to becoming a more conscious eater towards environmentally sound and safe food
choices. Within time, as Pollan states, doors will open to new ideas of ecological systems to feed
our selves, with more socially and environmental responsibility. Whole foods and Farmers
Markets truly are superior choices to industrial agriculture and are the beginnings of a foundation
in deciphering how whole our foods really are.
