It’s hard to imagine corn in one fourth of all products in the supermarket. If you think that’s hard now try imagining that corn is in our toothpaste, trash bags, cleansers, matches, batteries and many other non-food items. It’s even in the walls and structures of the supermarket itself! Michael Pollan starts off with this “wow factor” and gives us the impression of corn as the greatest thing this world has ever seen. Pollan, however, is perplexed by this omnipotent feeling of corn in our supermarkets. In chapters two and three of The Omnivores Dilemma, Pollan takes a trip to Iowa to see where corn first starts in it’s process from the fields of Iowa to the markets of the city.
Pollan takes us through a brief history of the agriculture industry starting with the invention of synthetic nitrogen. The introduction of nitrogen created fertilizers, which then made possible the idea of monocultures; Monocultures then helped our society to start overproducing corn and soybeans. The reason why corn is the most widely grown crop is because of its many uses. It can be used as feed for cattle, fuel for cars, and sweetener in many drinks and food products. After Pollan talked to a farmer, George Naylor, about his thoughts about corn, I was left with somewhat of a different feeling than my original high hopes.
A couple of generations ago farmers were making about 20 bushels of corn per acre. Nowadays, farmers yield close to 200 bushels per acre. You would think with a 900 percent increase in productivity famers would be making a very decent living. It’s the exact opposite of that however. Farmers are stuck in an endless cycle of poverty and bankruptcy. With corn prices so low, they can barely make a living. The facts just don’t make sense to me. Were we better off in the old days where farmers were yielding such a smaller percentage of crops? It’s a scary thought when the basis of human survival relies on farmers who are probably better off quitting than continuing farming under their current conditions.
Do you think there might be any side effects of humans having their diet consist of so much corn?
What measures should be taken to help farmers make a better living for themselves and their families?
The last sentence of your response is very interesting to me. It is surprising to think that the farmers, who we greatly depend on, are in bankruptcy. It makes me wonder why farmers would want to keep working these jobs when they are barely receiving any benefits. On the other hand, if all the farmers quit their jobs, who would grow all of the corn?
ReplyDeleteWow Robbie. I find your post rather interesting. As a crop farmer myself, I too find trouble pulling husks of corn out of the ground. The wallpaper of your blog is quite impressive as well. What kind of camera did you use to take this picture? I've been using a Cannon, but I believe this (Sony??) produces a much more vivid image. The carrots look so real, I feel I can just grab one.
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