Pollan-Week 3

In “The Botany of Desire,” Michael Pollan discusses the era’s relatively new genetically modified crops from an intriguing perspective. While the potato seedlings he plants from Monsanto looks the same as his non-GMO seedlings, they feel completely different. By feeling he means that it is jaw dropping to know that an essential part of being a farmer by cross-breeding different species of plants and animals is taken away. The role of the farmer to find the best yields, bacteria repellants, and more has been replaced after industries have taken that information and placed it within the genome of any crop. This has thus given plants the humanistic quality of knowledge and culture that farmers have been completing through hands on work for centuries. Pollan does a good job of stating a claim and quickly bullet pointing his supporting reasons for why he believes in it. For example, when discussing the new complications famers endure in the face of Monsanto and other GMO crops he provides concrete details noting the new debt farmers accumulate, soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, water pollutants, and food safety risks.

In regards to his other article “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” Pollan addresses a series of questions such as what should people eat and where their food is coming from. He observes the history of maize and its path into genetic modification and cattle feeding grounds. Pollan’s approach on what to eat for dinner considers striking personal experience while including environmental facts and history.

As people are continuously deceived into believing their super markets hold a plethora of biodiversity in the fresh food aisles, why or is there already local small scale farmers focusing on the biodiversity of one crop the same way the Incas did?

Week 3 Reflection: So much energy to give people so little energy

This week some major themes in the readings discussed the process of making genetically modifying products, how they are definitely not an 'all-solving' answer, and the energy it takes to create products, transport them, package and produce them, and transport them for retail. For myself, the energy needed to keep up with our current food system is astounding. Not only do we have to look at the fuels that go into these elements of food production such as oil, coal, and gasoline, but we also have to consider the energy that goes in from an individualistic perspective of driving to the supermarket and what it takes to keep that supermarket running. When you think about the energy it takes to grow and harvest food on an organic farm with non-gmo seeds that's destined for a farmers market, the energy is minimal and reduced to just the gasoline for the tractor, the gasoline for the truck that brings it to the farmers market, and any energy that's utilized to create tools and other machinery for farming.
In comparison, it's crazy to think about all of the food miles and energy that goes into one box of cereal or one bag of chips. Out of curiosity, I looked up how far away the U.S. manufacturing locations of Cheerios are. The main facility is located in Minneapolis which is approximately 1,372 miles away. Even without counting the food miles it takes to get from the farm to the production facility, the box of Cheerios that I have right now has traveled at least 1,372 miles. That's incredibly far for one product on my shelf, not to mention the frozen pizza that I have in my freezer or the bananas that I have on my counter. Then, when you consider that my products contain items that are genetically modified, you have to consider the additional energy that goes into creating the seed, trying to re-nourish the mono-cultured land for it to grow, and that these fruits and vegetables will not re-produce in a later year.
I always wonder about how truly feasible it is to eat only the food that you grow and how likely you are to have success in it in comparison to the large 'all-weather, all conditions' seed production we get through Monsanto. In reality, seeds will reproduce plants and if you use multiple varieties of plants your soil will stay nutrient rich and will be able to allow long-term thriving. Also, when you think about how Pollan mentions that farmers are often slow to change, being that their livelihood is dependent upon consistency as much as possible, what was the final straw that caused the first farmers to side with Monsanto. Do we know that story? Did they look longterm?

Food and Environment Reflection

One of the main attractions during my childhood visits in Iowa was going to “see the bison”. This meant a thirty minute drive from the farm to a small, grassy enclosure which held a pair of live bison. The look of them surrounded by fences beyond which loomed the crops of those who displaced them, idling in a re-creation of their former habitat was disappointing as a child and disheartening now.  The fact that Iowa was once a fertile prairie full of such majestic wildlife as the bison is hard to believe when you look around at it today with its mono-cultures and synthetic fertility. Few things break the monotony of corn in my grandfather’s county, with the exception, of course, of soybeans, and it is pretty amazing that it is essentially all thanks to chemical fertilizers and fossil fuels.

The readings this week have got me thinking about many things, but mostly water quality. Large scale agriculture takes a serious toll on our freshwater resources, in terms of both water usage for irrigation and the pollution of our waterways. I was raised on the Wakulla River just a few miles from Wakulla Springs State Park. In my lifetime I have seen drastic changes in the quality of the water at the spring. I remember when the water in the swimming area was crystal clear and the glass-bottom boats were always running. Now the nitrate pollution has put an end to that. The water is often a murky green, full of algae and choked up with invasive hydrilla which is wreaking havoc on the native species, and the glass-bottom boats don’t run most days due to poor visibility. Years ago I remember hearing the warnings to parents at the park to keep their infants away from the water due to the risk of blue baby syndrome. In this case nitrate pollution from chemical fertilizers is only part of the problem, the Tallahassee spray fields, where treated wastewater has been used to irrigate a few thousand acres of crops, is the real issue, as the nitrates in the water drain through the soil and straight into the aquifer.

One of the things I found disturbing while reading the first few chapters of Omnivore’s Dilemma was Pollan’s illustration of how farmers use excessive amounts of fertilizer, more than can be absorbed by their crops, as a kind of insurance policy. Better safe than sorry I guess, but that doesn’t seem quite right when that excess fertilizer ends up someplace like Des Moines’ drinking water.

Me, Myself, and Food: A Memoir

As my own personal gourmet chef in training, I try to source fresh ingredients when they're in season as much as possible. It's hard to believe, but I was once an extremely picky eater and I never, ever, ate vegetables (wait, do corn and potatoes count?). During my ungraduate career, I began to expand my culinary expertise to new veggies--I'm assuming that all the scary food documentaries, like Food, Inc., played a major role in this transition. I always tried to eat healthy (I think I had a spinach and feta salad with freshly prepared lemon-herbed chicken every single day for a year...), but these sensational movies pushed me to explore more and more veggies. I started juicing as many veggies as I could daily, and cooking up broccoli, carrots, and zucchini. With this drastic transformation--from puerile, yet sophisticated (filet mignon and potatoes) to conscious and refined (asparagus bisque)--I began to inextricably relate my food's source and season to what I wanted to eat and what I should/could.


In triangulating the relationship between food, the environment, and myself, I feel that my position as a wanna-be professional chef is the most relevant because it is, in large part, my strongest connection to a food experience. The more you consider how food should be cultivated, a.k.a not year round, the more you start to realize that we are trapped in an absurdist culture, where even our diets are reflected in our Western-demand of "I want everything right now." Your average American probably doesn't know when certain vegetables are in season--myself included--because the agricultural industry has prevented that thought from crossing our minds entirely. You can buy an apple, an orange, or a zucchini at any time of the year, and at certain months, it may be a little larger or tastier or more abundant, but we probably won't remember the pattern year-after-year. But, hope may have surfaced; the burgeoning trends in culinary arts are pushing people to know that what you've picked out on a menu is local and exactly what farm it came from. Chefs are experimenting with diverse and eclectic preparations of foods that focus on uncommon, yet compatible vegetable combinations, super-foods, and seasonal, wholesome, organic ingredients. Although this trend is not quite yet far-reaching, its onset should bring delight to the food conscious among us.


So what is the relationship to environment? It is relevant in more ways than one. If consumers continue to educate themselves on what's in season, and to only buy in-season foods, perhaps we would cause a disruption in the agricultural industry. Farmers may be encouraged to pursue crop rotation methods, focused on micro-nutrients, which is a far more sustainable practice. By seasonally rotating crops, the quality of the soil can remain in tact, as opposed to the depletion of certain minerals and nutrients that help crops grow. If this is employed at a large scale, it could in fact reduce the required land area for agricultural systems, and provide relief to the natural ecosystems and cycles (e.g. carbon, nitrogen). It may be possible to achieve because the rotation of crops on the same land extends the longevity of the soils to be cultivated longer before turning to a new plot, whereas turnover rates would be higher with monocrops that deplete the land quicker. Conversion of agricultural land is a very real threat to the preservation of agriculture in present time, both to urban development and expansion of its own self. Further, agricultural lands are reputable for runoff pollution which overloads many natural and built systems in irreversible ways. If the system is altered comprehensively, we can assume some relief to the previous tenets of irrevocable damage agriculture has placed on the existing natural systems.Crop rotation, a deeper, personal connection to the natural land (in knowing the source of your foods and being health conscious), a stronger foundation of posterity, and perpetuating a "know-your-food" culture in restaurants and groceries alike, are central to preserving agricultural lands, balancing the environment, and satisfying consumers.


As a consumer, I've tried to alter my shopping habits as much as I can to reflect what I know about harvest seasons, but it is not a perfect system, information can be hard to find, sometimes I just want strawberry in October, and if there's anything we know for certain, Florida is it's own universe. I can only buy asparagus in the spring (its ripest season) because I researched its nutrients, its harvest periods, and all the different ways to prepare it (sauteed, pureed, sliced, shaved, steamed, you name it--I love asparagus). Things are only made worse by Florida's completely wacky growing seasons, where its too hot to grow the really good stuff, so we import from other states/countries, or pretend to think that this is exactly what a zucchini should taste like in the middle of summer (zucchini flowers, anyone?!). Educating myself on produce seasons is a continued measure in my path to being a great chef and a healthy human; I can only hope that the culinary shift towards locally sourced, veggie-dominated menus becomes a principle and not just a trend in our food experience.

Week 3 Readings

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.

Reflection

"The experience of the sublime is all about nature having her way with us, about the sensation of awe before her power--about feeling small" (Pollan, 2001).

My parents have led my food journey since I was small, little seedling--starting each week with a journey to the farm Co-Op we are a part of to pick up our produce for the week. Here, people gathered and swapped produce. During pick up, members of the farm set up tables with value added products (canned veggies, jams, salsas..etc.) that originated at the farm. Every Sunday, I would leave the farm feeling inspired, hungry, and small.

Fast Forward two years later to the summer between my sophomore and junior year at Florida State University. I had just returned from cooking at the annual Pesto Festo held at the farm where I grew up. I missed the community, the veggies, and feeling small. It was around this time that I heard about iGrow Community Garden, a youth empowerment program that was designed to 1. Grow fresh and affordable food for the community 2. Create meaningful employment (both volunteer and paid) for youth, and 3. To teach young people to teach other people how to grow his or her own food. This was a mission that I could stand behind, and learn a whole lot in the process.

iGrow became my refuge amidst the concrete jungle that I spent so much of my time in. I began to grow my own food here, lessening my reliance on the grocery store to provide me with (depending on the season) collards, kale, and spinach that I eat virtually everyday. Every workday I find myself in bliss, standing among the free range chickens, their blue speckled eggs, and the rows and rows of veggies we grow. I think planting seeds that turn into something we consume, is probably the closest thing to magic we have.

Currently, I manage the Seminole Organic Garden on campus, a space dedicated to teaching students sustainable and organic growing practices. Every garden workday, I am floored by what the students bring to the table, and how quickly the good food movement is traveling. One 4x8 bed at a time we are taking back the industrialization of food and consuming food that has been sourced organically, locally, and ethically. AND--we save our seeds. It feels good to be small, to start my own food journey.

Are GMO Plants Just "Smarter"?

"The metaphors we use to describe the natural world strongly influence the way we approach it, the style and extent of our attempts at control." (Pollan, p. 191). With this once sentence, Pollan gave me an entirely new perspective on the GMO issue currently revolutionizing modern agriculture.

This week, I began my readings with the Canning et al. article, which was an interesting way to frame my perspective for the other assigned readings. I was struck by two main takeaways from this article. First, the fact of the sheer number of different food-related activities that consume over 15% of the American energy budget. Sure, I knew the food was "industrial," but to see it all listed out like that -- electricity for cooking; cooking heat; auto fuel for food-related transportation; embodied energy in purchases of food storage, preparation, and serving equipment; etc (p. 9) -- was not only startling, but horrifying. Second, the style of the Canning et al. article left me slightly uneasy. The authors acknowledged that we dump a ridiculous and inefficient amount of energy into food production, and offer up 3 factors that could reduce the rate of growth in food-related energy flows (p. 24). However, by emphasizing the problems of our industrial food system and only offering a brief panacea at the end, I got the feeling that the authors considered food-related energy consumption to be an insurmountable problem. Perhaps this is due to the academic nature of their article, compared with Pollan's journalistic style, but the authors seemed to see no change in the current trend in food-related energy consumption.

Pollan tackles many of the same elements of industrial agriculture, including inefficient energy use, in Omnivore's Dilemma. While he does engage in the expansive rhetoric of the Canning et al. article concerning food-related energy use, Pollan takes a much more nuanced approach towards industrial agriculture, and in particular, the role of GMOs. While it seems clear from "Botany of Desire" and the ultimate fate of his New Leaf potatoes that Pollan does not wholly support GMOs, he offers up some interesting points about their role in reducing pollution and energy use. Pollan reports that GMOs such as New Leafs can be "genetically programmed" to withstand insects and plagues, meaning that harmful chemicals need not be applied to fields. This in turn means that the planes and trucks that apply these chemicals do not need to be used, saving energy and even more pollution. Furthermore, there is perhaps less wasted food with GMOs, which can be built to withstand the long journeys of the industrial food system. In a sea of articles and books denouncing GMO foods, it is certainly interesting to examine the other side of the argument.

However, Pollan ultimately makes it clear that he does not support GMO foods. This is expressed in the way he describes GMO farmers vs. organic farmers, his aversion to eating the New Leaf potatoes, and in his own gardening practices. It is particularly interesting that Pollan opposes GMOs not only on scientific or health-related grounds, but from an ethical standpoint. That is why I found the quote provided at the beginning of this post so illuminating. GMOs can represent many things: The triumph of man over nature; stunning scientific achievements; agricultural advancements that may both eradicate hunger and pollution; and, to be frank, momentous business achievements. Yet they can also represent man's detachment from nature, his fixation on controlling something he sees as separate from himself, and the ultimate disrespect towards the very thing that gives him life. Pollan addresses this latter point when he considers the English's opinions of the "lowly" potato and the Inca's careful and respectful cultivation of the land. Although cultures may view the very same plant - the potato - in very different ways, throughout history man's association with agriculture has never been so far removed as with the advent of GMOs. And I find myself agreeing with Pollan: our new "approach....style and extent of our attempts at control" may have gone too far.