The human population has increased over the years and so has the production of food. Food production has caused many problems over time such as processed food, food safety, and exploitation of workers. Food as we know it has changed over time and has been modified to keep up with the population. Processed food has increased as natural food sources have decreased. Grocery shopping, farming, and voting can change our food crisis.
The food industry is a power struggle, politics and money are the main problem. The people in charge do not make sure that food is safe for consumption as long as the money keeps coming in. There are so many different issues that there is no way to pinpoint one thing that is causing these problems. The food safety laws in this country aren’t taken seriously. Recalls on food happens so often nobody notices. The animals are fed antibiotics and hormones which cause water and air pollution. Pollution of these sorts are not food safety being taken seriously. If people do not begin to vote to push the laws of food safety and educate themselves on these laws nothing will change. CDC says yearly that 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of food-borne diseases.
Over processed food is the cause of the earth not being able to keep up with supply and demand. Food is eaten faster than it is grown, but of course we will not starve. Processed food is a food item that has had a series of mechanical or chemical operations performed on it to change or preserve it. The average person eats over 50 percent of processed foods in their diet. Processed foods are high in everything that is bad for people which causes obesity and other health problems.
So the earth can’t keep up with the demand but the supply is causing health problems. Not only are processed foods not healthy but they are cheaper and more affordable than what the earth does provide. While grocery shopping choosing organic and non-GMO products are better options. Self-growing fruits and vegetables, also cooking from scratch instead of cooking processed foods are healthier options. Voting to make eating safer for everyone is very important. Being educated on food consumption and how it can be harmful because of the lack of food safety in the food industry.
“From actual documented slavery in Florida’s tomato fields to daily pesticide exposure in farming communities to the fact that America’s lowest-paying jobs are in fast food restaurants our food system crushes workers, ruins their health, and keeps them in poverty so that they need the cheap, processed, industrialized food to survive. “ ( Barrington, 2010) The exploitation of workers is new age slavery. A lot of places in food production hire undocumented immigrants such as farms and chicken plants. They hire these people and pay them little to nothing to work long hours. They do this knowingly to save them money and anytime they have a problem with an undocumented employee they call the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also known as ICE. Illegal immigrants pay about $7 billion a year in Social Security. Immigrants are very involved in our food production from the beginning to the end. They are essential workers and are a big part of our food production. The food industry would not be able to function with the contribution of immigrants. The exploitation of workers is an employee being taken advantage of by an employer. Many employees from all backgrounds in these fields have experienced these tragedies. Sometimes they live in their cars and trucks, but also outside in tents.
Some workers pay to live in metal shacks infested with mosquitoes. Conditions often times their homes have no running water, electricity, or bathrooms. 70% or more are undocumented and are among the poorest workers in this country. Hazardous conditions are normal, including extreme heat and exposure to pesticides.
Processed foods have an extended shelf life and seasonal availability. They are convenient and make people lives easier and provide more choices. Processed food reduces the incidence of food-borne illnesses, and is safer because products are treated to destroy harmful bacteria. Food being processed can preserve nutrients, and also improve sensory. As far as food safety, food illnesses have always been a serious problem and haven’t seemed to get worse over the years. Food safety is time-consuming and time is money. Manufacturers currently face significant liability, but also irreparable loss of consumer confidence if their products injure consumers. Meat and fresh produce, a lot of the time a food could be contaminated and the incident is pinpointed, but by then much of the affected food already has been consumed. These are a few reasons why mandatory food recall authority doesn’t do much to improve food safety in the U.S.
As time goes on the earth will continue to diminish over time. As the earth natural resources are used up from being devoured by humans. Humans have been destroying the earth by eating the plants before they have the chance to grow back. Pollution has been caused by the food being processed and food safety not being followed correctly. Animals are kept in enclosed areas with no fresh air. These animals get infections and even die in these closed in areas causing pollution.Without food safety everything we eat would be at risk of disease. Food safety can be just as simple as washing your hands or even washing your food before eating it.Processed food handling and packaging operations create wastes of different quality and quantity, and if not treated, could lead to increasing disposal problems and severe pollution problems. Humans love to liter and throw out packaged items not knowing how it effects the earth and the world we live in as a whole.
In conclusion, there is no solution to the food crisis because the earth is out numbered. There is no possible way the earth can naturally keep up with the production of humans. Plants nor animals grow fast enough to keep up with human consumption. People can try and help the food crisis by eating less. Rationing food could be an option but the food would probably still run out. Processed food, food safety, and exploitation of workers have been a few of the many problems in food production. The food production industry has so many issues that there is no one-way solution. Something that is created to help such as processed foods has caused health problems. Workers in the food production industry are being exploited and have been made to live in horrible conditions. Most of the workers are undocumented immigrants who at any time could be deported or fired and sent back to their dangerous homeland. Our food as we know it will never be safe. Even with creating processed foods and safety laws, nothing will get better as long as the earth is outnumbered we will continue to have a crisis. Therefore no matter how much or how little or how healthy we consume we still have to deal with other major factors. Pollution is a key factor but the number one problem is humans.
