After reading through this section there was one thing weighing heavy on my mind; the entire premise of "organic" foods seems to be nothing more than a facade used by industrial food chains to sell products. Now, my viewpoint may be a bit swayed because of my strong interest in public relations, but when reading through this section all I could think of was propaganda. More or less, techniques that are being used to increase sales and to find more consumers to essentially fool into buying a product. Based upon this reading I would say that only a small portion of the general population truly understands what would be considered "organic," even though there are many who would have a skewed view of the term. Consumers have been led to believe that if the label says organic, the product has to be; no questions asked. However, that is not the case. In class we have discussed the importance of knowing where our food came from and that is especially significant when looking at organic foods. What these consumers are missing is the drive that is necessary for truly being aware of the purchase that is being made. Furthermore, a good portion of this section discusses the legitimacy of industrial organic foods. Pollan goes on a person quest to determine whether or not the food being produced by these chains can truly be considered organic. He concludes that it does indeed seem to be a contradiction in terms, which I strongly agree with. I have a hard time accepting food as organic if it was grown in one place, packaged in another, and then shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles to my location. That just seems a bit shady to me. Not to mention all of the chemicals that end up on the foods during these times of transit and the lengths that have to be taken just to try and simulate a natural growth process for the products. However, this is where the problem lies. So many people are trapped in the mind set of "what the package says goes," and they think nothing else of it. Food that is grown less than a mile down the street from where it is sold at a farmers market is more than likely organic, not something that has been shipped across the country in and out of holding units. The general public is depriving itself of the wholesome foods that are truly organic.
"'I believe I developed that niche twenty years ago. It's called 'organic.' And now you sir, are sitting on it.'"
The above is a quote from a small farmer who was being questioned by a corporate organic grower that told him he needed to find a way to distinguish himself in the market. I found his response to be excellent. The local farmer was witty and genius when he slammed the corporate with his remark. He knew that he was the legitimate organic farmer but industry has taken over and it has taken the minds of the general public as well.
You echo many of Pollan's observations/concerns about the 'organic' concept. Be careful not to confuse local with organic, and vise versa. Is the confusion you/Pollan refer to part of the deliberate efforts of the "military industrial complex" attempts at keeping the consumer in a constant state of status quo? When most people are confused, they wait for clarity, but if clarity never comes, decisions and new ways of doing things never happens = status quo.
ReplyDeleteI would tend to agree with you, but I'm not sure that I fully believe that industrialized organic food still isn't better for you in some ways. It might not be as nutritious as local foods, but I'd like to see these studies everyone is referring to about how organic foods aren't necessarily healthier. I would consider that statement true, but not necessarily. I feel like there are exceptions to this rule, and I would like to find out what brands might meet that requirement.
ReplyDeleteHow on earth do we go about defining "organic"? It is this enigmatic phrase that is utilized so flippantly that, as you have noted, it no longer holds meaning.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the very basic dictionary definition of "organic" is "of, relating to, or derived from living matter." Ie: we are organic, all foods in the produce section are organic, even fish sticks are technically "organic." Organic farming however, is defined as "not involving modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic foods are also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives" But the average American is truly not going to know the difference, and much of me still wonders, how much does that matter?