The Fate of Food Essay -- Health, Unethical Methods, Chemicals

The Fate of Food The hidden methods used to produce the food we consume today are unethical. These methods include the usage of chemicals, and abuse of workers and animals. The process of producing food goes on everyday but as consumers, we are unaware of how it is done. A vast majority of Americans are not aware of the highly mechanized structure of the industrial food system. Determined to capitalize on profit and production, social responsibility and food safety has taken a backseat to the industrial food system. The three most significant problems of the industrial food system are animal cruelty, the lack of biodiversity, and the treatment of farm workers, and these problems can be resolved by creating more efficient food agencies, government subsidies for small organic farmers, and agencies that protect farmers’ rights). The industrial food system is the cause of animal cruelty because of factory farms. The treatment of farm animals is â€Å"barbaric† (Blatt 2008, 195). The procedure for raising farm animals is inhumane. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is a process of the industrial farming system that separates animals from their natural habitat and confines them into farmhouses with thousands of other livestock. (Walsh 2009) In modern factory farms, animals are crowded into dirty, windowless farmhouses and cramped in â€Å"wire cages†, and â€Å"gestation crates†. (Niman 2009, 101) Hogs for example are confined in these factory farms for twenty-four hours a day. This raises a lot of issues because these animals will never have the chance to raise their families, enjoy free-range, or roam in grassy fields. Newborn piglets are separated from their mothers. The animals are deprived of access to fresh air and are fed through ... ...d health. I propose the creation of the Farm Workers’ Labor Protection Agency (FWLPA). Through the FWLPA, farmworkers can address their concerns without fear of being fired or deported. The FWLPA will work with OSHA to apply its safety standards to individual farms. Farmers prior to being hired will be taught safety standards and ESL classes will be provided twice a week to immigrant farmers who do not speak English. Workers’ compensation, living conditions, and wages will be respected as part of the FWLPA’s standards which will include a $10 dollar starting pay, and overtime pay. Industrial farm workers face dangerous work conditions and should be rewarded accordingly. With the creation of new and efficient agencies, the industrial food system in the United States will lower health issues, protect animals and workers’ rights, and develop a sustainable strategy.