The readings this week really shaped my view of the use of GMOs in our country and the amount of energy that is used in order to feed this nation's people.
The Canning article listed out the process of how food eventually ends up on people's dinner plates. When I cook a steak for myself for dinner, I rarely think about all the stops that the steak has to make on the way to my mouth. It has to be transported around the country, sit in storage units at various locations, then make it to the super market where I ultimately purchase it. Then I have to bring it home and store it in the refrigerator, prep it for cooking, and cook it. The whole process uses so much energy when you add it up. But, food is very important to any group of people; everyone needs food. For this reason, I believe that the large energy consumption is justified.
In Pollan's articles, both sides of the GMO debate are thoroughly examined. He argues that GMOs can make our food system more efficient. With crops that are able to withstand certain kinds of weather and bacteria, various crops are able to be grown around different parts of the world which make them more accessible. Food is able to travel less distance from there point of origin if they can be grown at various locations around the world. The more efficient our food system is, the less energy is consumed in the production of food. But, Pollan does make points against the use of GMOs in our food system. He claims that we don't know the long-term effects of GMO use in the human body, it could be potentially dangerous. GMOs are an economic and scientific achievement, but at what cost? Pollan claims that GMO use on a massive scale is unethical because it is still a controversial issue. We will eventually find out the long term affects of GMO use, and maybe Pollan will turn out to be right.
Solomon, I agree that food is important and that everyone should have access to it, but I don’t agree that our large energy consumption is not justified. The USDA states that 85% of our total energy utilization is used for food. The majority of the energy that is consumed is from a non-renewable source. Thus, the food market is volatile because of our dependence on imported crude oil. We, as a nation, need to look at alternative ways to produce, distribute and consume food that is more energy efficient and sustainable. Otherwise, I fear how much food will cost in the near future.
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