A Reaction Paper about the Book “Omnivore’s Dilemma”
For most animals, the food they consume is dependent on the situation they find themselves. For example, koala bears consume eucalyptus leaves. The agrarian revolution provided opportunities for human beings to have a wide selection of food options. Humans can eat a variety of foods made available by the world; the process of making this decision is a cause of worry for most. The worry seems more pronounced in the growing population of developed countries such as the Unite States. Lack of a pronounced structure causes concern among consumers. Deciding what to eat is a matter of desire and discipline. The situation has worsened due to industries that differentiate different classes of food. Instead of creating an orderly system, industries have resulted in dysfunction among consumers. To some, a stick of butter is nutritional compared to margarine. To some, the opposite is true. People have turned to institutions that provide dietary guidance because it seems that regardless of how much people eat and attempt to maintain a ‘healthy’ standard, the unhealthier they get. In his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan aims to discuss the reasons for these dysfunctional behavior and offers some solutions. Before the revolution in the food industry took place, humans relied solely on cultural inferences that had dictated the type of food they consumed at the appropriate season. Pollan states that we can only observe the type of food consumed once we comprehend the process of getting from the source to what eventually ends up on the serving table. Eventually, his critique on several food chains allows him to conclude that hunter-gatherer food is the best for human consumption.
According to Pollan, food choices ultimately delegate the manner in which people relate to nature. The modern world has created a disconnect, that is why consumers are unaware of the food chain which is the process that food undergoes before it ends up on the plates. As such, he deems it necessary to delve into the standard food patterns: engineered food from industries, whole foods and food that an individual has found and assembled personally. He begins by demystifying industrially produced food. Most of American food is prepared and assembled industrially. He chooses to focus on corn in this division and the manner in which humans or animals consume it (Pollan, 2006: p.3). Corn is presented practically in all foods, either in whole or as a fructose component. Growth of corn is entirely dependent on the care of the farmer. It is impossible for corn to reproduce without the effort that comes from farmers. Pollan is critical of the corn industry as it allows consumers to continue with the practice of ignoring the food chain process, the very thing that he preaches about (Pollan, 2006:p.16). This industry has had serious effects on the health of consumers. He urges people to avoid it at all costs. He also observes that most farmers feed their animals corn, not grass thereby affecting the quality of meat produced from these animals (Pollan, 2006: p.64).
Many Americans assume that consumption of organic food automatically facilitates healthy eating. Indeed, the organic food industry has gained popularity because of the healthy factor attached to it. Selected foods even increase their prices on a supermarket shelf by virtue of them being organic. According to Pollan, meat purchasers imagine that the animals that provide organic meat roam about freely in pastures consuming organic grass and, therefore, the product that comes from the is pure. He did not criticize this portion of food as much as the industrial section. In fact, he wishes in his writings that people would return to the era where food production was under natural conditions with as little use as possible of industrialized manure. Here, wastes retrieved from local produce undergo recycling for reproduction of more organic crops. The final and the most appropriate food chains according to Michael Pollan are the foods that individuals assemble themselves. In this category of food chain, there is no assistance from food manufacturers as hunting and organization of food is by hand. He seeks the assistance of locals to hunt swine and gather mushrooms and abalone. He makes salad from his small patch and prepares desert using assortment of food collected from neighboring gardens. Throughout this process, he battles with turning into a vegetarian as he struggles with morals in terms of humanity towards animals. Eventually, he assumes that it is ethical to consume meat, as the meat fosters human survival (Pollan, 2006: p.64). If people did not consume meat, then animals would overpopulate the earth presenting problems for the human community. Based on the ethical issue of meat consumption, he also claims that most animals live healthily leading to their slaughter. Despite the benefits of hunting that lead to meat consumption, the process is difficult to maintain. The process can be done occasionally but it indicates some inconveniences for the hunter and consumer. Eventually, people should understand that their food comes from nature, and that sometimes individuals should stop and contemplate the source of their food before consumption. The best meal is composed of anything that offers comfort within reason. If people enjoy fast foods, then they should indulge only to a point that seems reasonable.
References
Pollan Micheal. (2006). The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.
The Penguin Press HC
