moo

Grass fed cows are great

Corn fed cows aren’t

And I’m not just talking about taste

The cows that eat grass are less prone to disease

The cows that eat corn are more prone to disease

The cows that eat grass walk to the food and eat it where it grows

The cows that eat corn have to wait while the corn grows, is harvested, then transported to the cattle lots (which uses fuel)

The cows that eat grass fertilize the lots where the corn grows

The cows that eat corn how to sit in their own manure while other fertilizers are used to grow the corn that they have to wait to eat

The whole process is whack

But of course

This process brings money to the corporations that control all of the corn

And since corn makes cows fatter faster the businessmen are all too willing to also accept the diseases and other issues that corn brings to cows
And since the meat industry is now entirely reliant on corn
The corn industry is holding the meat industry by the orbs

NOT FINISHED; WILL EDIT

FOOD REGULATION

Shout out to Ms. Colln for sending a remind 101. Haha. I Completely forgot about the blog. I hope that I wasnt the only one. My topic is focusing on the food we eat and how it is not regulated properly by the government. Some or the topics I am going to cover are gmos and the meat industry. With the meat industry I am going to cover how they don't regulate how they treat the animals and how it effects us. I am not going to only touch the treatment of animals but also all the bad things they put in them.  For example they put hormones in chickens so they can mature faster and that negatively impacts us. With gmos I plan to cover how they impact us negatively.  To sum things up I am not happy with the food regulations so I'm going against it. I'm not sure if it ia a to open of a topic. What do you guys think? I am easily able to find information on how we need more regulation. The topic of my paper would be food regulation in general or should I focus on one thing such as the meat industry or farming regulation.

Small farms pt.2

Since we began this unit, it has been clear that we have serious issues in our food industry due to the large corporations. It made me very curious that we have such clear problems but we as a country aren't doing anything about it.

At first, I was aware that the huge agribusinesses shouldn't be allowed to handle our food supply but was skeptical about there being any alternatives to them.  Whether or not you agree with their production means, the corporations are definitely able to dish out super high quantities at relatively low prices. With that being said, it didn't seem like there was a close second to corporations in terms of being able to feed the masses. This is where my question came from, which basically asks if organic, humane farms were capable of feeding at the level of the large corporations.  In my research, I have mostly found that the small, organic farms are able to feed the word collectively. Eastern Brazil and other South American countries already have systems where small farms network together to feed large populations. 

As we get more into this unit, I’ve become a bit more careful with what I eat. We have all seen the Food Inc. video and saw how filthy the animal houses are. It’s disgusting to see how hundreds of pigs are all squished in one barn, literally covered in their own poop which can lead to harmful diseases. This is what led me to do my research paper on how the poor quality living of factory farm animals can have a potentially negative effect on the foods we eat. While doing research on this topic, I discovered that thousands of people die every year just from eating foods like chicken or meat. What could be the cause of this? The diseases carried in the food from big companies like Tyson. These types of companies do not care if their products are harmful to their consumers, as long as they are making money out of it then they’re fine. I’m sure all of us hear things like this all the time but most of us do nothing about it because it hasn’t happened to us yet. So my question is: If more people become more involved with what is happening to the foods we eat then will companies start to change the way we take care of the farm animals? If so, then could it lower the risks of dying from food-carrying diseases?

Foodopolies

I am doing my research paper on foodopolies which are the monopolies on our food. Monopolies are taking over food industries and changing the way are food is produced, these monopolies are using patents on their seeds and damage many farmers. One question that continues to come up is what can we do to stop these monopolies from taking over our farms and farmer? Lastly what will happen to our farms and our food if these monopolies continue running our food? Please let me know your thoughts.

In the midst of my research, I became more aware of my eating habits and how it has changed. Knowing that most of our food is genetically modified or even bathed in pesticides, I decided to take a different approach and experiment myself. I started to cook with the plants that my grandmother grows in our backyard and didn’t realize how much time and care goes into food. It’s crazy how we can walk into the grocery store at our own convenience. I never really realized how easy we have it especially when it comes down to food. I felt like I was getting in touch with my humanity, learning to nurture a plant for consumption. Although it does require lots of work to grow your own food, I learned to appreciate the beauty behind it. Unfortunately in the end, the food industry will continue with their ways in production and that is something we can't really help. I mean I know that all of us can make a difference but at the rate that it's now, I don't see a dramatic change.

Do people actually know the truth of genetic engineering?

With my topic of research I've been reading a lot of articles that say the benefits of genetic engineering can be great, but people reject it with not much research or bad research. For example there was a French scientist that did study on ratsd by feeding them only GMO foods and in two years they developed cancer. However some time later other scientists reviewed his study and found that the breed of rats he used are known to develop cancer I two years regardless of what they eat. So he created this kind of fear of genetic engineering without good research and people disregard the second study. And there's other things too like General Mills started labeling their Cheerios as GMO free even though they never used GMO ingredients in the first place. They're just printing it on their cereal because it creates a feeling of safety from GMO. It's kind of like companies label their food as gluten free even though they use no wheat product so its not possible for it to have gluten and they just label it because people think gluten is this super harmful thing, but it's really only harmful if you have an intolerance to gluten. In addition to all this genetic engineered foods go under years of review by the FDA before people consume it so that they know its not harmful. For example this genetically engineered salmon went under 20 years of review before it was deemed safe to eat. So it's not like genetic engineered foods are dangerous because a lot of studying goes into the science before it's consumed. So in conclusion I feel like some people don't actually know that genetically engineered foods are safe to consume also people just reject GMOs just because of what they've heard. 

What's The Cost?

After watching Food Inc., I started to think a lot about the regulations that are and should be set on the food industry. The death of the two year old Kevin really sparked my curiosity in this matter and after e. coli killing an innocent child, I could not help but wonder why couldn't it have been prevented.
For my research paper I have been looking into the responsibilities of each step of the process, searching for whose fault a bacteria outbreak may be. Most of the responsibility seemed to belong to an organization called the FSIS, the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The FSIS is in charge of inspecting food and ensuring that the food is clean and safe, along with correct labeling. This kind of answered my question but as I began to research more, I began to research ways on how the food industry can improve in ensuring the safety of our food.
There are many suggestions to somewhat fixing the food industry but not many have been implemented and most are still just suggestions instead of actions. This also made me wonder what the costs are since it seems so difficult and the food industry seems to resist. Does it take a huge load of money? Who would the money be taken from? Who would be involved in ensuring these practices are executed? These questions are not part of my research, just some thoughts that came to my mind while researching.

A Ticking Time Bomb

When this research began, I had no idea where it would end up. I did not think I would have learned in depth about how food is produced and processed. We have heard about the diseases people receive and how food is packed with chemicals and drugs to make them taste and look good to the eye. For me personally, I have been eating all kinds of food that people think is processed and "unhealthy" but I am very healthy life with no sicknesses or diseases. Knock on wood that doesn't happen now but I am perfectly fine. My question that I have is that, will all these chemicals and antibiotics going into our food eventually take a toll on our bodies and kill us? From the movie that we watched in class a young boy died from meat from a factories. I understand people can end up killing themselves by eating very poorly but one day will someone die because of the preservatives and chemicals in the food? I really hope it does not come back around and bite me in the butt. I want to be able to eat what ever it is and enjoy it without the worries of the behind the scenes with the food.  

Productivity of Small Farms

My research question is: How does sustainable agriculture in other countries differ from the agricultural system in America and which specified techniques used by other countries would benefit/sustain our environment while providing mass amounts of food? While researching answers and solutions to my question and finding a variety of techniques that would be useful for the American agricultural system, it has led me to wonder why we haven’t already begun to use these strategies? Why does America claim to be one of the most powerful, successful, and developed countries in the world, but can’t seem to easily adapt to a sustainable organic farming production system for the benefit of the people? There can’t possibly be the excuse of there being “too many people to feed to worry about how they’re being fed” because I found that small farms that produce organic food measure their efficiency based on their space for resources; and in result, they tend to produce more per unit area the more complex their farming system is with all of the natural resources being used.  That is only one of many reasons why small, organic farms are more productive than big, industrial farms. That one reason should already be accounted for when it comes to why America should start making some changes in their food production system. From what I have researched, other countries are constantly trying to find new ways to make their food healthier for their people and in ways that don’t negatively affect the environment or limit natural resources that take longer to replace. Why can’t America attempt to do the same? Are big industries taking over for the sake of money and power? What evident changes need to be made so that our agricultural system doesn’t become completely corrupt?

The Price of Healthy Eating

For the past few weeks we have been discussing food politics.  We witnessed the cruelty of farm animals while watching Food Inc. and we have discussed making a change in our very own eating habits but why haven’t we? One could go organic and grab a kale salad but that is not as affordable as a combo meal at McDonalds. So one often blames the price of why they don’t eat healthier. I think there is more to it than just the price of healthy food products but it also involves time. After a long day at work or school one does not want to come home and make a huge dinner, they want something fast and easy. If we were given more affordable resources (cheaper food products, community gardens, etc.) would there be a change in our eating habits? We need a healthier food system that can keep up with our hectic lives.

What's the wait?

I have been thinking about all the information we have been presented with in this unit and how our food has a bad back story. This unit has exposed us to the diseases and harms that are in our meat and what not. However, we have been eating this bad food for most of our lives, well I know I have, and I cannot think of any issues I have had health wise. The movie we watched and articles I have read tell us that it can lead to long-term effects. Why does the effects come into play in the latter part of people's lives? Are there preservatives in the diseases as well?? I'm just playing, I don't even know if that's possible but that is what it seems like what happens in the body. People go into the doctors and find out they have a kidney problem that they cannot explain how they got this problem. The reason probably goes into a big health discussion but the question I have is should I be worried for my health later in life? Is it too late to try to begin to eat "healthier" or do I have a sickness inside of me waiting to hatch?

Let's keep it 8 more than 92

Over the past few weeks we have been discussing the processes of how food ends up on our table. We've also formed greater opinions on how the food is prepared and how it is very unhealthy for us. The thing is, are we going to stop eating these foods? I think not. Not just because we don't want to eat these foods, but it's always going to be that day when your mom or dad didn't feel like cooking dinner or there weren't any groceries in the house and your sitting there hungry. So what do you do? You get in your car and you drive to the nearest chipotle and you GET THAT BUTRITO with guac. I'm not saying it's not impossible to not eat fast food it's just that we are all humans and humans are very flawed and will sometimes cave in; even though, we know it's not all that great for us. I'm sure if Ms Colln was to ask the class who has had fast food since we started this unit, about 99.9% of us would have our hands held high, definitely including myself.

Should farmers have a say on what is done

               Farmers have a say on what is done

Farmers are constantly being quiet down by major corporations that deal with food because the corporations they work for all they really care is about the money. Some farmers don't really care what is done because they are getting paid so they don't care on what they do on the animals. There are those farmers that do actually care about the animals they are the ones that grew up farming the old fashioned way. The farmers who care about what the corporations are doing and don't like the system then those are the farmers that often get shut down and lose there job. Major food corporations is that they care about the money and what the customers think there eating but customers don't really know what there actually eating. Major food corporations are making farmers put steroids in the animals so they can grow faster especially the biggest thing that consumers bye " chicken".
        My questions is that should farmers have a say. They have every reason to have a say do to the fact that they are the ones doing the job. I know for a dam fact I would like to have a say on what is done . I would not be happy with it at all

Organic Milk Shortages

As individuals of our society become more aware of the horrors hidden in our food system, the demand for organic eatery is on the rise. As a result of the rapidly growing demand for organic products many organic farmers find themselves unable to release their products as quickly as they are needed. This is a profound issue in the dairy farming community leaving organic dairy farmers overwhelmed, many are even making the decision to remove themselves from the dairy farming business. Those who have decided to continue producing organic dairy products are faced with the issue of expanding their business without compromising the quality of their product that consumers are looking for. This issue is mainly due to these farmers not having the finances needed to expand while still taking care of their livestock as needed to be considered organic. So my question is, how can these farmers expand without compromising their product?

Current dairy pricing policies have a revenue pool system to ensure that all dairy farmers make an appropriate amount in order to sustain their business while making profit. However, this system does not take into account the differences between organic dairy farming and convenientional dairy farming. As a result, organic dairy farmers are not making enough money to continue to produce organic dairy products. 

What can organic dairy farmers do to bring attention to this ongoing issue?

Do you believe that organic farms, in general, will be able to expand as demands rise without compromising the quality of their products? 

Who Is Looking Out For Our Food Safety??

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/10/08/government-food-safety-guide/

This article talks about how the number of food borne illnesses have risen.  It states how about 48 million people contract some sort of food poisoning every year. The main question is why?  You would think that the FDA/USDA would be inspecting the food to keep us safe.  The USDA and Inspection Service has about 10,000 employees, yet still get bacteria in our food like E. Coli. and Salmonella.  Even with the entire government shutdown, inspections remain normal but we still might not be safe. The job of the FDA is to inspect ALL of our meat the is overseen by the USDA.  Even with this we still get sick.  I don't think that the FDA throughly checks our meat on a daily basis.  The employees stand in an assembly line and just look at the meat.  They don't actually inspect the meat one by one anymore.  This is a huge problem.  In another article, I read that the USDA does not have certain safety procedures. They allow big companies to set their own standards.  I've also read the big companies only sell to grinders who will not check their meat for bacteria in order to save money.  This whole ordeal revolves around money.  Meat companies don't care about us anymore, only the money.  So in reality, no one is looking out for our food safety...

Don't Underestimate Your Power

I hate to break the bad news, but significant change in food production/industry/distribution isn't possible without heavy involvement in politics. And, since millions in this country, most likely including you as well, are apolitical, our current state of food won't improve. 

(I personally believe that if you aren't involved in the political process through voting, initiating legislation, or protesting, you are in no position to complain about the state of anything.)

Through research to answer my question, "What impact does lobbying by food industries have on the health of the nation?", I've found countless articles reporting on the latest congressional seat bought by a specific food company, skewed scientific studies supporting Big Food, and much worse. Unfortunately, I was not surprised. After all, what is the driving force of the powerful? Money. Like arm manufacturers that promote constant war and nationwide paranoia to increase sales and profit, food industries have no morals or ethics in their efforts to earn as much money, power, and influence. They will spend millions of dollars in buying politicians and scientists alike to produce studies or laws that favor them. Practically unlimited lobbying and contributions in the government has led to the demise of democracy and information that is vital for a free country. It's one thing to persuade a politician through money to vote in a particular way; that's politics. However, it's another thing to directly challenge science and create false studies that significantly impact the whole world. Science is supposed to be fact, to its best capability. 

It's not an exaggeration to claim that our government is aiding in the slow murder of American citizens. They're partaking in the spread of misinformation of health and food safety to all. 

   

The overturning of Citizens United, a 2008 supreme court case, should be one of the main priorities of those who seek real and permanent change to the way government functions and consequently, how food industry affects the health of the nation. With a limited access to politicians, their power will be significantly reduced and the government may actually begin to represent its constituents'             concerns and needs. The influence of food industries shouldn't be overlooked, they create our (unhealthy) food guideline,  contribute to misinformation, and increase the number of totally preventable diseases and illnesses. 

My questions to you:

1) Will you actively participate in politics knowing that you have the power to have your voice heard and responsibility to reclaim your democracy?

2) Do you think there is another way to limit the influence of food industries on our government/ food standards? 

Will you join me?

Hello everyone. My blog question is, how does monoculture crop production affect the environment and plant genetic diversity.  Sounds like a lot right?  So basically I am probably going to wait till Wednesday night to write this paper like many of you guys because it seems like a horrible time and I like to procrastinate. As I researched this question I found many interesting yet repetitive things.  One of the issues that was addressed the most is how we all contribute to the system.  How many of us grow some our own food? I'm guessing not a lot. Now I am not saying grow a whole dang farm that you have to live off of, but try growing a tomato plant or another vegetable your family eats a lot of.  Now I know you guys are all thinking how can a few tomatoes that I grow can change the system right? Well it's true your hand full of tomatoes may not affect the system that much but if many people did this then it would. We do have the power to change the system it is just whether we want to or not.  I have taken a lot of interest in this unit, so much that I have even decided that I am going to start my own mini garden.  It took some time and a lot of planning but I have finally figured things out.  My backyard does not have the space but my grandmothers does and she was very nice and said I could use her back yard for this mini project of mine. I am taking a stand and trying not to contribute to the system as much, so my question is will you?  It may not last long but it is worth a try.  Wish me luck, and I hope you guys join me!

Let's Be Real

 Yes, we've now become somewhat educated about the importance of food and how it affects us in our everyday lives. But let's be real, most of us are agreeing saying it's a bad thing, but yet are still eating processed food anyways. We know we don't really control the food we consume most of the time because we aren't the ones buying groceries all the time at home. There's always going to be that one chicken in the freezer that we'll never know where it came from. We don't choose to say no to these foods because it's what we've been used to eating in order to survive. We never realized how much of an impact these processed foods have made to the decisions we have to make when eating. My cabinets at home probably contain at least 90% of processed foods and to me is a shame. I've tried eating organic before but started realizing how much it hurt my family's pocket and ended up stopping. Hopeless is what I feel of organic foods and the way food sources are being made is only going to worsen in the future. Not only is food going to be fake, but something we might be disconnected from if we don't change the factory methods. Food is something that should be valued but instead is being abused and treated as a product. We as consumers can start a small change only by starting our own gardens and start growing connected to where food sources are being raised or grown. It's something small but it's better then doing nothing at all.

A Shift to Organic?

Something that interests me is the fact that how people ate in the past was different compared to how people eat right now. In the past, concerns about the practices of the food industry rose which is why Theodore Roosevelt created agencies and regulations to protect the consumers. Now, these regulations on food industries are not being enforced. What I found in my research is that a shift toward organically produced food would not be a bad idea considering the health benefits compared to how our conventional system affects health. What I want to know is whether the organic system can actually sustain and satisfy the needs of the American public. I have found that, given time, organic farms may increase in their yields and thrive. However, will the public be drawn to organic food or still be stuck on industrialized food products? They would have to change their eating habits and make healthier selections. I know for me that I am not too worried about nutrition and diet even though I am more aware of what I could be eating. Is it possible to return to how our ancestors used to eat?

Eating Habits After Hearing About E. Coli

For my research question I decided to talk about E. coli because I found interest in it while watching Food Inc. In the film, a mother lost her son due to E. coli poisoning and is now spending any time she has in trying to promote better health regulations in our food system. After watching this video it got me scared that I might actually eat meat that has E. coli in it.  But will I actually research where the meat comes from? No. Will I still eat the nice, juicy steak that my mom provides me on the dinner table? Definitely.

Our society often overlooks what we put into our body.  The farmers, manufacturers, processors, etc. are not the only ones to blame when it comes to our health.  We are victimizing ourselves for not knowing how our food is raised and processed. When we go to the grocery store we often just look for the meat that looks the meatiest so that we actually get our money's worth.  But what if the meatiest meat we get has the most E. coli in it? Would we know? No. Because we don’t care what we eat as long as it fills us up, as long as we are not hungry anymore.  The only way we would know if our food is infected with bacteria is if we researched where the company gets their meat from.  The thing about this research paper is that it probably isn’t going to change the way I eat.  So my question is, will your eating habits change after you’ve done all your research for this project?

To Modify Or Not To Modify

      Food is a glorious creation indeed, it is the one thing that cheer us up when we're upset, and it's the one thing that we think of when we're sad or happy (for me at least). Sometimes it is so good that we still eat it, even though we know the risk we're getting ourselves into. For instance, I would never give up boba (trapioca balls) drink no matter how much people claim it is cancerous or unhealthy. Similar to the example I have stated, our society is facing a growing problem and that is the food industry. We, consumers, do not care of how what we put into our mouth may affect our health as long as we get to consume the type of food of our choice. This neglect gives a free pass to the food industry to do whatever it wants as long as it produces enough food to meet our demand; they go from traditional farming to industrial farming. With this evolving industry, arise multiple complications and debates over what they're doing is right or wrong or whether what their way of culturing food is healthy for us. Among those issues, GMO is one of the most controversial topic as it provides economical and environmental benefit to the society, but at the same time there are claims that undermine the benefits of GMO, and implicate that GMO can cause harm to our physical health. Most people believe that GM plants, or crops can cause various disease, lead to cancer, and alter our genes in a negative way. However, it should be noted all of these assertions are built upon a monolith of rumours, fear, and false assumptions. There has been no reliable study that proves these arbitrary, although reasonable beliefs. On the other hand, there are research and study that support the benefit of GMO. By planting GM crops, we can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emission, thus slowing down the green house effect. Not to mention, it also reduces the use of pesticides, which contain harmful chemicals. In addition, unlike traditionally planted crops, which are prone to bacterias and infections, GM crops are more resistant to bacterias. Furthermore GM crops require less land, which helps counter against the depletion of minerals and nutrients in soils due to intensive farming. Not only does GMOs benefit us environmentally, but it can also improve our well-being. Some crops are genetically modified in a way that they will yield more product with higher nutritional value. Plus, there has been some research groups that is trying to harvest vaccines from GM plants. This would mean more vaccines will be available to people (this may be a bit out of topic, but it is worth mentioning). Last but not least, GMOs are heavily regulated by the government (feel free to check out the regulations). In fact, the government supervises GMOs more than natural food; therefore if anything, GMOs may be even healthier than other types of food.
So my questions are:
Do you believe in the governmental regulations on GMOs? Why or why not? (Statistical evidence would be appreciated)
Those who are against GMOs: Is it better to get rid of GMOs from our groceries store altogether? Why or why not? (Think of the price increase, lower output, and people with low incomes)
Those who are for GMOs: Is there any other reasons why we should promote GMOs? (I really need some more reasons!!!)

(Kumpol, I shall not comply to the wish of someone who is incapable of spelling "wrecked". Your silly race means nothing, but a childish act attempting to fortify your self-esteem.) Get wrecked!

Supply and Demand

When I first started thinking about the question to research, I thought that there would be many conflicts if the food industries were to be strictly regulated. Strictly regulated, in my opinion, means that the industries must provide:

1. Provide at least minimum wages for all workers.
2. Provide health benefit and accidental cost.
3. Make sure that the work environment is safe for the workers.
4. All workers must be eligible to work under the United States law.
5. Make sure that the process of producing food follows the standard for safety and sanitary. 
6. Must have a standard contract that would be beneficial not only to the industry but to farmers as well.
7. Must treat animal in an ethical way (Debatable). 
8. If animals are corn-fed, it must be stated in the label.
9. Etc.

These are some of the rules that I've came up with while watching Food Inc. However, if these rule were to be implemented, it would come with a cost. In order for theses large companies to stay in control, they must meet the demand, implement the least costly method, make the most benefit, keep the product cheap, and constantly compete with other companies. If a firm cannot meet these requirement, they will eventually fall behind the rest of the firms, and it would be forced to shut down. If the regulations listed above were to be regulated, some consequences that may follow are:

1. Increase in the product price.
2. More time consuming to produce raise an animal.
3. Less supply of food or possibly the shortage of supply.
4. Smaller portion of meat (if they were to be raise in an organic way).
5. Etc.

Since large population of the people in the United States consists of a middle class and a lower class, the most concerning consequence would probably be the increase in the product price. Would most people rather have healthier food that would cost more or would they rather keep everything the just the way they are? Are we as a nation willing to risk the possibility of the shortage in food supply?

Of course there are arguments such as the amount of organic farm would increase now that the price of the process food is the same as farm food. However, the amount of organic farms will not increase all over the country within the short period of time. The industries can adapt to changes very quickly unlike small farms. If we were to implement these regulations, we would have the period in which there are less supply in the country until all the local organic farms start opening for business. Even then, we cannot guarantee that people would start the organic farming business just because they can compete with large industries in regard to price.

Questions:

1. Would you rather have healthier food that would cost more or a less healthy food that would cost less? Do you think most people would agree with you?

2. Would you be willing to risk the possibility of the shortage of food supply for future improvements? If so, why?

Huh! I published before you Visoth. Rekt! (Wreck)

Just A Thought Eperiment. A Messed Up, Terrible, Horrible Thought Experiment.

Ok
Hear me out
Some of my deskmates game me the idea of becoming an eco-terrorist
So I was thinking that maybe I coul-
Ore?
Nani?
You don't know what eco-terrorists are?
-sigh-
keep up
Anyway
Join me in a thought experiment
This may or may not tie in to my research question, "What are the effects of Govt. corn subsidies on economy and ecology"
What if I became an eco-terrorist
My crew and I would target Monsanto-controlled fields and meat farms
Especially corn fields
If the government knew we were out there attacking the corn farms
Would they continue to sink money into corn subsidies?
Or would the government try to protect the stale corn status quo?
How would the government respond to a crisis in the meat industry?
If our group demanded the companies to do the right thing and treat animals properly and stOP FEEDING THE COWS CORN, would the government give in?
Probably not
Murica doesn't negotiate with terrorists
Especially not if they're telling them to do the right thing
I dunno
Comments pls
Talk to me in person about it pls
This is actually a good point for debate
"If terrorists promote what should've been a morally sound cause, will the government be forced to oppose it, even if it is clearly the right thing to do?"
I really don't know what I'm doing at this point
It's like 00:19 rn
But really tho
Bring this up at school
Kbai

Aborted Babies Taste Test Your Products

All articles are non recent
Sources: http://beforeitsnews.com/conspiracy-theories/2013/07/comprehensive-list-of-companies-that-uses-aborted-fetal-cells-as-flavor-2452716.html

https://familycouncil.org/?p=4666

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC123709/


     Many trusted companies such as Kraft, Nestle, and even Pepsi Co. have partnered with biotech company Senomyx. Senomyx creates new additives, or flavor enhancers, for their partners. Since 1999, Senomyx has been testing additives and determining if it makes a product smell or taste better. Rather than hiring professional taste testers and having them determine the additives, Senomyx has capitalized on a discovery that allows them to receive direct feedback on what's good and what isn't.
   
     Senomyx has reversed engineered human receptors that respond to taste and aroma and they can reproduce these receptors using Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK). Many individuals have spoken against the use of aborted fetuses in such a way and have threatened to boycott those companies partnered with Senomyx. Other individuals have feared that HEKs may even appear in the final product of their soda or candy, but they are not. To be clear, Senomyx is using these cells to only test additives and see which ones the receptors react to the most; therefore, choosing the "best" sweetener or flavor. What good does it do for one's health if we continue to use sweeter sweeteners, doesn't that just add to sugar addictions? Senomyx has also even created taste inhibitors! Certain soy products may be bitter, and Senomyx has added inhibitors that prevent an individual from noticing any bitter taste.

     Much like cosmetics have labels claiming their product was not tested on animals, should we ask for labels that state whether or not the product was tested using HEKs, or what flavor enhancers/inhibitors were added using this method? Perhaps one day, enough concerned Americans can bring this topic into debate in legislature and decide the future of this testing method.

Does being vegetarian benefit more than just our health?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/14/opinion/velez-mitchell-animal-cruelty/
The link above is one of many articles i came upon when researching information on the impact meat factories and production have on the U.S. and the world. For example, we all know that the obesity rate has skyrocketed within the last decade. But what some of you may not know is that obesity has been declared as a chronic disease and now called the 21st century plague. What's even crazier is that these rising numbers are parallel to the number of growing fast food chains in the U.S. Coincedence? Definitely not.  What's even sadder is that a 2014 study shows that kids overweight in kindergarten are bound to future obesity problems. Crazy isn't it? Another impact the meat industry has is the most controversial issue we talk about today; climate change. Because of the destruction of the rainforest for grazing lands, the massive amounts of methane produced by farm animals and the huge amounts of water, grain and other resources required to feed animals, climate change is becoming a bigger and wider issue. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization found the production of meat contributes about 22% of the world's greenhouse gases. And consuming those meats makes us part of that contribution. One last problem the meat industry has an immense effect on is world hunger.  As Bill Gates explained, "raising meat takes a great deal of land and water and has a substantial environmental impact. Put simply, there's no way to produce enough meat for 9 billion people." As years go by, and the population keeps growing, what will we do then? What kind of rations of foods will we be subjected to? Becoming a vegetarian will not only benefit our health but also our country's health and after that, the world's health. We need to stand up and stop conforming to foods that harm us and our nation, we need to stop before it's too late. 

GMOs and Stuff

Should you worry about GMOs?

This article talks about the affects that GMOs may or may not have on your health. Most of the article illustrates that GMOs do not have a large affect on human health. "No harm has been demonstrated with ingestion of these foods from genetically modified plants," says Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD, University Professor at Tufts' Friedman School and editor of the Health & Nutrition Letter. "The opposition, while raising questions of safety, has actually been cultural rather than scientific. Even arguments against GMOs on environmental impacts have not been supported empirically." As Rosenberg states, many negative connotations that GMOs have are just that, connotations. They are implied to be bad. Society has developed a negative view about them because they are so new and people do not know much about them.

This is relevant to what we are learning about in class becuase while there may be minimal affects of GMOs on your health, the economy aspect of them can be scary and overwhelming. Monsanto for example, have monopolized on the GMO soybean crop. Monsanto even will sue farmers for not using their crop. The problem with monopolies is that they can completely control the price of the product. That is why they are so heavily dissuaded in America. If one company has so much power over one food then they could possibly have power of what nutrients go in the food or what important nutrients do not go in the food.

Just eat responsibly I guess.

GMO Labeling in Vermont

http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-02-04/food-industry-looks-to-congress-as-gmo-labeling-law-nears
The article explains that the food industry is still trying to oppose the mandatory GMO labeling law that is set to take effect in Vermont in July. The industry is arguing that GMOs are safe and that Vermont does not need to revise their law, while the state wants to start labeling. The food industry continues to fight as the nation looks to make GMO labeling a national standard.
This article is important because it shows that many are still skeptical about the fact that GMOs are in our foods. It also shows that the food industry is either making an effort to make GMOs safe or an effort to make us believe that GMOs are safe. This article has lead to me wondering if the food industry is really making an effort to make GMOs safe, or if instead they are attempting to cover their act up. The article might be helpful in the fact that it shows the fight and shows that we can still continue to revolt against GMOs and the food industry.

Last minute

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/9348382

I completely  forgot about those so I'm going to do the best I can with fifteen minutes. There may be a lot of errors, sorry about that. To begin I found this cool article online talking about vegan and an omnivore being  in an relationship together. I thought it was cool because it describes  how the girl's boyfriend tried to become vegan for her because when they would go out and eat he would feel awkward about it because she was not eating meat.  Eventually the awkwardness got to him so tried and tried but it was hard for him because he was custom to not being vegan. I think this relates to what we are kearning because after watching food inc we may think about changing how eat. For example the girl went vegan because of what she felt for the animals. Now some of us may try to eat organic fruits and vegetables because of all the things in the regular fruits and vegetables. She didn't even like when her boyfriend wore clothing with animal skin on it.  Read this article it is really interesting reading about the challenges they went through together. I know it doesbt really relate that much with politics but  it does ties in with change. Which all of us my want in our household now.

Labeling GMOs?

https://www.downtoearth.org/label-gmos/gmo-foods-should-be-labeled

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), requires most foods to bear nutrition labeling and requires food labels that bear nutrient content claims and certain health messages to comply with specific requirements. Genetically Modified Foods are the result of where genes from one species are put into another so that it carries certain traits.  I think that everything that is put into the food we're eating should be labeled.  It obviously must be bad for us if they want to inform us of what exactly we are putting into our bodies.  GMOs are currently one of the most health challenges that we face in the 21st century.  Probably because most of us don't know if GMOs are really all that bad.  But the funny thing is that most children's food is genetically modified.  WHICH IS WHY IS SHOULD BE LABELED.  Unfortunately, the FDA rejected the labeling of GMOs.  I believe that we have the right to know where our food comes from or how it is made.  The government should not be in control of what goes into our food, we should.  It is the FDA's job to make sure that our food is good enough for us to eat and honestly, I think they are doing a lousy job.  

What Do You Think?

My first research question was scrapped because I figured out I could not find enough research on it to write a five to six page research paper. However, I thought I could use it for our blog assignment. The question I formulated was "In the food industry, do animals deserve to be treated in the same manner as a pet?". I my view, I believe animals, that we will eventually eat do not necessarily need the attention and care that a house animal would receive. I say this because the animals on a farm already have a short life span and the purpose of their life to produce food for our fast growing population. I heard a story of how the cows in Japan, that a farmed for Kobe Beef, are groomed daily and basically treated as royalty. I have no objection to the way the cows are treated in Japan but I do not think we can go through the same process in America. Reason being, Japan's population is no where near the size of America's, so they can spend the time grooming their cattle and feeding them grass. On the other hand, we can not afford to groom our cows and chickens because if we do our food production, in the meat industry, will not keep up with our population growth. I do not want our animals to be treated bad and I do not believe in animal cruelty but if we want our country to continue to prosper I think we should continue on with our unfortunate process of our food industry.

The Way Our Animals Are Really Being Treated

Solotaroff, Paul. "Animal Cruelty Is the Price We Pay for Cheap Meat | Rolling Stone." Rolling Stone Magazine. N.p., 10 Dec. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.  

In this article I found by Paul Solotaroff, he basically talks about two undercover animal activists who go by the names of Juan and Sarah that go to work on animal farms and witness the harsh living conditions the animals we eat actually go through. Billions of animals such as chickens, cows, and pigs are killed for our consumption every year and sometimes can carry diseases from sitting in their own filth with broken bones and being crammed into small living spaces with other animals unable to see the light of day.There’s been laws and bills passed, such as the “Ag-Gag” bill that makes it illegal to take a farm job undercover and to keep the way industrial farms treat their animals a secret from the public. One of the undercover activists says that they’re not doing this to end meat farms but to end the way they raise treat the animals before they are slaughtered and placed onto our dinner tables.

I think that this article might be helpful with the research project that we will be working on because it talks about what big meat companies are actually doing to the animals that we eat. I eat meat and chicken at least once or twice a week and personally I would like the animals that I eat from to be treated with proper and decent care. I think that if these kinds of companies changed the way they take care of the animals it could potentially lower the risks of catching diseases or getting food poisoned.

 

 

Genetically Modified Foods

Source

This article explores the stigma surrounding the topic of genetic engineering of crops to create new strains with certain traits. The first thing you really imagine when you think of something genetically modified is something completely unnatural and bad and if you actually search up genetically modified foods you’ll probably find a picture of a tomato with like three different syringes piercing it. That doesn’t exactly give you good feelings, does it? and that’s one example of how we’ve learned to perceive genetic engineering. We see genetically modified foods as “frankensteins” of their original food but that’s not really how they are. These foods are genetically modified to overcome certain obstacles, help the environment, or those eating them. For example there, are several strains of rice that have been created for different reasons. Recently there has been a huge project at the oxford university to create a strain of rice that will survive climate change as well as result in a lot more rice for the growing population of human beings in this planet. By 2043 there is supposed to be about 9 billion human beings on this planet and the current rice strains will not be able to support that many people, especially in countries that are dependent on rice. Apart from this countries that are dependent on certain crop have created strains that have certain proteins or nutrient that help their people stay healthy. So genetically modified aren’t that bad really especially since they have to meet so many regulations before they can be introduced for people to consume.