The chapter that I read in Best Food Writing is talking two major issues that plagues the American People more and more each day. The first issue is the desire for good quality food at a price that the average American can afford. This article does a good job illustrating both sides of the argument. Many people would prefer to buy organic because it is not only better for me but allows me to support more humane practices in industries that conventionally have been the opposite. However the reality of the situation today is that most people can’t afford a 500 percent mark up on groceries to buy organic, so the end up buying the same low quality that they are used too. The second major issue that this article touches on it the tendency for Americans to always want more product at a lower price. This consumer tendency has forced smaller farmers to either become bigger in order to operate in economies of scale or else go out of business. However the animal that ends up suffering is the cow or the chicken. Because there has been a push to such an industrial livestock farming method animals are being treated very poorly and in many cases abused. For example, in the article Kessler speaks about how chickens are de beaked at birth and cows are forced to live in vast industrial farms. The American people need to decide if they are willing to pay more for their food if it means a better life for an animal as well as a better product on their table.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why are government officials not subsidizing organic more than non organic producers?
2. Are their low cost alternatives to big chain meat retailers?
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