tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post3121343005044019248..comments2024-03-28T15:17:43.056-04:00Comments on Stayin' Alive: Safety, cost, and justiceCervanteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302076828795198187noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post-25689898500945385672009-10-21T11:34:17.329-04:002009-10-21T11:34:17.329-04:00Food, in the west, and elsewhere btw, is extremely...Food, in the west, and elsewhere btw, is extremely ‘safe’, as compared to 50, 100, or more years ago. It is safe in the sense that it will not infect you or make you ill, except in some extremely rare circumstances. Compared to car accidents, accidents at work, sport accidents, guns in the home, it is a non starter. Sure, there is always room for improvement. <br /><br />Many, however, would argue that food, first in the US, second in the rest o the West (we always catch up) is somehow unhealthy, has lead to obesity as a first disaster. Corn syrup and all that. Fast food. And so on. <br /><br />The industries that sell that ‘crap’ (and other ‘healthy’ products as well) are massively subsidized by the Gvmt - the tax payer. Big agri biz lives off direct payments. In the US. In the EU.<br /><br />Were one to remove the subsidies, and return to somewhat more ‘local’, ‘bio’, farming, with many small holders, less industrial transformation, conditioning, less transport over long distance, etc. - say the green dream - the price of food would immediately be multiplied by at least 3, probably more. Is that ‘safer’ food? In the sense of more healthy for humans in the long run? I would guess so, e.g. cooking your own winter root veggies and forsaking frozen pizza (made from left over grains, pork fat, and flavors) and disgusting cookies, yes. So perhaps the original poster’s argument is of interest. <br /><br />Spending on food has sunk and sunk, see just the first off google:<br /><br />http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2009/07/spending-on-food-at-all-time-historical.html<br /><br />That chart of course does not take into account taxes, the hidden tribute paid to Big Agri. <br /><br />AnaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post-6876522132443720072009-10-21T00:21:25.147-04:002009-10-21T00:21:25.147-04:00Much of it could be eliminated just by smaller bat...Much of it could be eliminated just by smaller batch processing, which wouldn't increase costs much AND would make recalls much easier/cheaper. The problem comes in the large factory farms which are too big, and mixing of ingredients from too many sources. The industry needs far more traceability along with better handling and processing procedures.<br /><br />There is no need for the CEOs and owners to be making multi-million dollar salaries off of providing food to the rest of us, either. They can expend some of their wealth to treat workers better, take care of their health, and get food to us safely.donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00762690167864156774noreply@blogger.com