"The Omnivore's Dilemma", Michael Pollan

Résumé du document

In the 1930's, the issue of overproduction emerged: farmers cannot sell their surplus, and severe weather destroyed the efforts of these farmers. By the Agricultural Adjustment Act of May, 12th of 1933, the Roosevelt's Administration tempted to help the economic situations of theirs farmers, the agriculture considered as the main income of the country. The results of this interventionist policy were generally positive.

Today, food production remains a strong value of the country, for a population that exceeds the 300 million of heads. But, do we have to overproduce to make us sure to supply all the population's need? According to Karl Marx, overproduction is part of a cyclic process, inherent to the capitalist system, caused both by the result of technological advances but also the economic ambition of selling always more. The result: an economic crisis is the only solution to equilibrate the balance between supply and demand.

Despite the crisis of 1903, the United States continues to produce again and again and the way the country managed this overproduction is quite incredible. In fact, does the overproduction of corn is a sign of wealth and good health for the country, or rather helped to push down the country and weaken it and its population?

Extraits

[...] He says early in his chapter entitled "The Consumer: A Republic of that extra corn produced served only one thing: distilled to become whiskey. Before being fat, Americans were drunk. Truth or controversy? In a puritanical society, how can we then explain the great efforts to limit the presence of alcohol in the territory, especially during the Prohibition in the 1930s? The conversion of corn into alcohol is not new since this practice has existed since the 14th century in Scotland. [...]

[...] The situation of the market today makes probably impossible the finding of issues. The danger of this mass consumption in number, and in quantity, is a reality that the author rightly states, a danger which ultimately endangers society and weakens it. A society who is sick and dying is a society too easy to unseat. Bibliography Pollan, Michael. “Supersize me organically”. Paper presented at the 25th anniversary Ecofarm conference, in Asilomar, California, September- Pollan, Michael. Consumer: A Republic of Fat”. [...]

[...] The question of the survival of the planet is directly linked to OUR survival. The issue of yields and occupancy of land is raised now: a population that continues to grow, international policies must absolutely reduce the gap between the ones suffering from overnutrition and the other from malnutrition. For nearly 50 years, we returned to the level where progress met absurdity. Humankind has the ability and capacity to live better, in all cases, in terms of betters conditions of living than their ancestors with a set of tools that allows him to stay alive and healthy: these tools are medicine, accessible to all (or nearly!), education, food, The author claimed that the life expectancy of the new generation, born in 2000, will be the first generation with a low life expectancy[2]. [...]

[...] In The Omnivore's Dilemma, edited by Penguin Books Pollan Michael. Center of Ecoliteracy. Are What We http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/we-are-what-we-eat Glover, Katherine. “Study shows corn is king at McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King”. Bnet (November 2008), http://industry.bnet.com/food/1000277/study-shows-corn-is-king-at- mcdonalds-wendys-and-burger-king/ Millard, Kevin. „Dangers of High Fructore Corn Syrup“. HealthMad, (July-4, 2007), http://healthmad.com/nutrition/dangers-of-high- fructose-corn-syrup/ Sanda, Bill. The Weston A. Pride Foundation. Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup“. [...]

[...] "The Omnivore's Dilemma", Michael Pollan When we talk about America, we must always combine superlative: super stars, big cars, biggest defense power, and big food consumers for such a small gastronomic history. A great country, with great potential for agriculture and livestock, could position the United States as a reliable source of food for mankind. Since the 19th century, the Corn Belt, situated in the north-east of the country, provides to the U.S. the leadership in the exports of agricultural productions. [...]