Relying On Foreign Labor
- The article "As Labor Pool Shrinks, Illinois Farmers Turn to Foreign Workers" by Amanda Perez Pintado discusses the ever growing labor shortage in Illinois. The difficult work, long hours, and little pay has turned many locals away from farm work in the Midwest. As a result, local farmers are forced to turn their attention to the foreign workforce in order to attract and hire quality employees. For many years, employers have been able to get off pay their workers very low rates. As seen in McMillan's article, "The American Way of Eating", workers often accept to work for these low rates due to being undocumented (29). Now, many immigrant workers rely on the H-2A temporary agricultural program to fill temporary jobs but for employers to qualify for this program they must prove that there aren't enough U.S. workers available to do the work. Mike Haag, a fourth-generation hog framer from Emington, Illinois, says he “We worked with a lot of South Africans that came up through a visa program, and for a while, that worked pretty good,” said Haag, who brought workers through the program for about 10 years. “But it became harder and harder to get the help, and it was seasonal. They could only be here for nine months.” Finding workers to cover the few months in-between can be difficult but this was only a slight issue compared to the costs. The program requires employers to pay for works transportation and provide housing and for workers to be paid a government set wage of $15.31. For Haag and many others these costs add up quickly. Haag stopped hiring foreign workers through the program six years ago . The Farm Workforce Modernization Act aims to make changes to the guest worker H-2A program and provide a pathway to citizenship to agriculture workers. The bipartisan bill, passed by the House in March, is now stuck in the Senate, as legislators debate over immigration.
H-2A Worksite Location 2020
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These issues have become overwhelming for some, causing farms to close across the state. For individual farmers its difficult to compete with larger employers that are able to offer their workers benefits. Linnea Kooistra, a dairy farming in Woodstock, Illinois, was forced to sell her heard of 300 cows that they had for almost 10 generations. "The labor situation , you know, it was just so hostile,” Kooistra said. “We were just worried that we'd lose our labor pool. We couldn't do it, the two of us. There was just so much work. We just couldn't do it". This feeling of loss is one that many other small famers understand. Newman argues this may be the biggest downfall of family farming, "We in that cohort trade the benefits of agrarian collectivism for rugged independence; complete auto many in decision-making and work ourselves into the ground" (2). However, these issues could be solved through producers at markets working together. This would improve wages and quality of life for farmers that may bring local farmers in Illinois back to the industry. Farmers would have opportunities to have group health insurance, early retirement and other incentives to help them stay in the field and continue to be the backbone of America.
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Upcycling Food Helping to Reduced Food Waste
In the article "Upcycling food waste onto our plate is a new effort. But will consumer find it appetizing?" by Marta Zaraska discusses the next big trend in the food industry. What qualifies as upcycled foods? According to a newly coined definition, they are ones that “use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the environment.” Basically, it means no longer putting agricultural leftovers in the trash and into incinerators and landfills, but back on our plates. For example consider the coffee plant fruit — the red or purple cherry-like fruit that contains the coffee bean. They normally get thrown away in enormous quantities as a byproduct when coffee beans are harvested. But they can be collected and made into a gluten-free flour and used in foods such as cookies or tortillas. Since the fruits are full of fiber, potassium and antioxidants, upcycling promoters say they could turn them into nutritious superfoods. Transforming leftovers, wether from the dinner table or agricultural, can be more than just trying to reduce food waste. As "An Economic History of Leftover argues, "The elaborateness of such culinary student made the point that as the ultimate test of a cook's skill and imagination, lever over, and even more than first-run foods, could be art" (3). With new preservation technology and a bit of creativity, finding new ways to use leftovers could be a fun challenge for farms and everyday Americans.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, some $1 trillion worth of food is wasted per year. This makes me question of how much of the food is wasted before it can even make it off the farm. While in supermarkets many people often only pick out the fruits and vegetables that look perfect even when it's going to be mixed into a meal. In "The American Way of Eating", McMillan talked during her experience as a sorter while on the peach farm. The supervisors would yell out to the pickers, "These are too small! No green ones! Give me the pretty ones! " (40). The pickiness of an average American shopper puts a lot of pressure on farmers and it limits the food they can send out even though it takes the same amount of time and costs the same amount of money to grow the flawed fruit. There are new companies like Imperfect Foods that are working hard to reduce this waste by finding a home for the imperfect or “ugly” fruits and vegetables that farms couldn’t sell to grocery stores. Food waste can happen at any step in the supply chain process so it's important to focus on each step at a time to reduce the waste finding its way into our landfills ever year.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, some $1 trillion worth of food is wasted per year. This makes me question of how much of the food is wasted before it can even make it off the farm. While in supermarkets many people often only pick out the fruits and vegetables that look perfect even when it's going to be mixed into a meal. In "The American Way of Eating", McMillan talked during her experience as a sorter while on the peach farm. The supervisors would yell out to the pickers, "These are too small! No green ones! Give me the pretty ones! " (40). The pickiness of an average American shopper puts a lot of pressure on farmers and it limits the food they can send out even though it takes the same amount of time and costs the same amount of money to grow the flawed fruit. There are new companies like Imperfect Foods that are working hard to reduce this waste by finding a home for the imperfect or “ugly” fruits and vegetables that farms couldn’t sell to grocery stores. Food waste can happen at any step in the supply chain process so it's important to focus on each step at a time to reduce the waste finding its way into our landfills ever year.
Food Insecurity and Heath During COVID
In the Article "54 million people in America face food insecurity during the pandemic. It could have dire consequence for their health" by Bridget Balch discusses Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Revere HealthCare Centers opening of a therapeutic food pantry. The pantry opening in 2020 and planning to offer a three-month, 10-paient pilot program that offered plenty of plant-based, healthy food to the patients who had
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nutrition-dependent chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, and were food insecure. "Since 1980 the price fruits and vegetables have gone up about 40% while the price of processed food have decreased 40%" which is why the focus of the program on plant based foods is so important for low-income families (A Place at the Table). Not too long after the opening, COVID hit and in March, the number of people in the Boston region who were unable to obtain healthy food increased. This was due to the economic impact of the measures put in place to manage the new epidemic. With funding from MGH Revere and partnerships with local food nonprofits, the pantry grew from operating out of a closet to filling a 1,000-square-foot storage space and feeding up to 80 patients and their families each week. In addition to a focus on the nutritional value for the food pantry, there was also a significant importance placed on means to enjoy the food. Patients who visited the pantry initially received pots and pans, a spatula, oil, spices, and consultations with a nutritionist who could help them come up with recipes that they enjoy. The goal is to foster self-motivated healthy lifestyles. When the pantry expanded to a greater number of patients due to the pandemic, they could no longer offer all these services, but they hope to reintroduce them in the future.
Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, estimates that 17 million people in the country could become food insecure because of the pandemic, bringing the total to more than 54 million people in the country, including 18 million children. In "McDonald's Workers in Denmark Pity Us", Kristof argues that part of the solution "involves giving little children equal access to the starting line so that they will be educated and become productive workers two decades later" (5). While many schools have continued to provide meals to children in need and food banks and pantries have amped up services, the disruption could have concerning long-term consequences. Studies have linked food insecurity in children to poor health, stunted development, behavioral issues, and difficulty keeping up in school. I believe that without better government assistance programs that work to help parents put food on the table, children will continue to fall through the gaps and the cycle of poverty and food insecurity will continue.
Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, estimates that 17 million people in the country could become food insecure because of the pandemic, bringing the total to more than 54 million people in the country, including 18 million children. In "McDonald's Workers in Denmark Pity Us", Kristof argues that part of the solution "involves giving little children equal access to the starting line so that they will be educated and become productive workers two decades later" (5). While many schools have continued to provide meals to children in need and food banks and pantries have amped up services, the disruption could have concerning long-term consequences. Studies have linked food insecurity in children to poor health, stunted development, behavioral issues, and difficulty keeping up in school. I believe that without better government assistance programs that work to help parents put food on the table, children will continue to fall through the gaps and the cycle of poverty and food insecurity will continue.
Food Emissions and Climate Change in the United States
The article "Nine charts that show why the US needs to tackle food emissions" by Aliya Uteuova consider why our food system accounts for such a huge portion of global emissions. With the UN climate talk at the Cop26 in it's last week, countries are being pressed to act in the face of dire warnings about the consequences of global warming. However, one source of emissions that is frequently neglected is our food. According to the article, the United Nations hosted its first food systems conference in September, ahead of Cop26, but it was criticized for its lack of real initiatives and for supporting the agendas of large food corporations over small-scale sustainable farming. While certain agreements surrounding sustainable agriculture and less-polluting farming policies were made at Cop26, many advocates for food systems to be more prominent in the climate debate were dissatisfied. This article explored the four main areas of food emissions: land use, production, supply chain, and waste. Although the most striking to me were emission from land use and productions.
A large amount of food emissions comes from the sites where farmers cultivate crops and raise cattle. The article writes that emissions are equal to 5.6bn tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and of all the habitable land on earth, half is used for agriculture, of which 80% of that land is used for live stock. This feels like a double edged sword to me as it means the forests, grasslands, and other terrestrial ecosystems that play a critical role in carbon dioxide absorption are rapidly depleting. Beef production entails the removal of trees for pasture area and overgrazing, the practice of grazing an excessive number of livestock for an extended length of time, which does not allow for enough vegetation recovery. In other words, the Earth's vegetation is becoming less able to trap pollutants due to a lack of moisture and nutrients in the soil. This is very concerning as we can't artificially supplement our soil because "soil [is] not simply a base for chemical additives" (Can Planet Earth Feed 10 Billion People, 6).
We cultivate an enormous amount of food on agricultural land, which encompasses anything from farming crops to raising cattle. It is this process that is responsible for the majority of CO2-equivalent emissions in the food system: roughly 7.1 billion tonnes. The production of meat and dairy products accounts for the majority of emissions in this category (57 percent). Growing a kilogram of animal-based product takes up to 50 times the amount of emissions as growing a kilogram of plant-based product. Cattle are by far the most polluting animals, particularly those raised for meat, which account for a quarter of all animal emissions. Cattle raised for dairy produce 60 percent fewer emissions than cattle raised for meat, but given the volume of cow milk consumed by humans, it is still the second-largest source of animal emissions.
A large amount of food emissions comes from the sites where farmers cultivate crops and raise cattle. The article writes that emissions are equal to 5.6bn tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and of all the habitable land on earth, half is used for agriculture, of which 80% of that land is used for live stock. This feels like a double edged sword to me as it means the forests, grasslands, and other terrestrial ecosystems that play a critical role in carbon dioxide absorption are rapidly depleting. Beef production entails the removal of trees for pasture area and overgrazing, the practice of grazing an excessive number of livestock for an extended length of time, which does not allow for enough vegetation recovery. In other words, the Earth's vegetation is becoming less able to trap pollutants due to a lack of moisture and nutrients in the soil. This is very concerning as we can't artificially supplement our soil because "soil [is] not simply a base for chemical additives" (Can Planet Earth Feed 10 Billion People, 6).
We cultivate an enormous amount of food on agricultural land, which encompasses anything from farming crops to raising cattle. It is this process that is responsible for the majority of CO2-equivalent emissions in the food system: roughly 7.1 billion tonnes. The production of meat and dairy products accounts for the majority of emissions in this category (57 percent). Growing a kilogram of animal-based product takes up to 50 times the amount of emissions as growing a kilogram of plant-based product. Cattle are by far the most polluting animals, particularly those raised for meat, which account for a quarter of all animal emissions. Cattle raised for dairy produce 60 percent fewer emissions than cattle raised for meat, but given the volume of cow milk consumed by humans, it is still the second-largest source of animal emissions.
Nonetheless, Biden has avoided addressing one of the most significant sources of food emissions: the meat sector. Cutting back on meat and dairy production and consumption would result in significant savings in emissions and land use. And with subsidize for farmers that priorities quantity over quality for crops, such as corn and soy, there is very limited incentive for the industry to lower their impact on climate change. As Marion Nestle states in chapter, "Can we feed the world well?" and "Can we stop agriculture from contributing to global warming?" government intervention is necessary for substantial change in the farming industry to prevent further damaging our planet and for the good of our society.
Truth Behind Fruit Snacks
Fruit snack are a staple snack in Midwest and used as a healthy alternative to fruits. Welch's fruit snacks are among one of the most well known snacks as they can be seen being sold in bulk all over Costco and Walmart. Although one look at the nutrition label and we can quickly see how far from fruit this snack truly is. Yes, there is actual fruit involved but a brief glance at the label reveals that these guys are made out of "fruit puree" (grape, peach, orange, strawberry, and raspberry). But that's where the "fruit" section ends and the "other stuff" section begins. Corn syrup, gelatin, modified corn starch, and a slew of other ingredients are sprinkled throughout the list. There's also..."sugar" if that isn't enough sugar for you. Welch's Fruit Snacks' has 11 grams of sugar (almost three teaspoons), which indicates that 43 percent of every mouthful your child swallows is pure sugar. Not to mention the ever-controversial "natural and artificial flavors" section. This type of advertising can be especially harmful to low-income families as argued in W. T. Chen's "From 'Junk Food" to 'Treats'" since low-income families often purchase and rely on these healthy alternatives for their children. This contributes to the increasing obesity among those in poverty.
In some of my own research, I found that Welch's was involved in a class lawsuit in 2015 due to some of their false advertising. Welch's was accused of breaching the law by adding vitamins to its Fruit Snacks, according to the class action lawsuit. The US Food and Drug Administration deems it unethical for food producers to add vitamins to harmful goods in order to sell them as healthy, according to the "jelly bean rule,". "Defendants could not claim that these sugary snacks were a nutritious, vitamin-rich meal if they had not fraudulently enriched the Fruit Snacks with vitamins A, C, and E," the lawsuit alleges. Because Welch's snacks are fortified with vitamin C, its claim that they contain "no preservatives" is false—vitamin C is a popular preservative. In "Pandora's Lunchbox", the author Warner mentions how the "marketability of added nutrients is at an all-time-high" so it is not at all surprising to see big name brand companies such as Welch's hopping on these trends, But to change the way future generations view what "healthy" food is we have to start promoting actually healthy food, such as fruits and vegetables and teach children how to read nutrition labels themselves.
In some of my own research, I found that Welch's was involved in a class lawsuit in 2015 due to some of their false advertising. Welch's was accused of breaching the law by adding vitamins to its Fruit Snacks, according to the class action lawsuit. The US Food and Drug Administration deems it unethical for food producers to add vitamins to harmful goods in order to sell them as healthy, according to the "jelly bean rule,". "Defendants could not claim that these sugary snacks were a nutritious, vitamin-rich meal if they had not fraudulently enriched the Fruit Snacks with vitamins A, C, and E," the lawsuit alleges. Because Welch's snacks are fortified with vitamin C, its claim that they contain "no preservatives" is false—vitamin C is a popular preservative. In "Pandora's Lunchbox", the author Warner mentions how the "marketability of added nutrients is at an all-time-high" so it is not at all surprising to see big name brand companies such as Welch's hopping on these trends, But to change the way future generations view what "healthy" food is we have to start promoting actually healthy food, such as fruits and vegetables and teach children how to read nutrition labels themselves.