This week, we will begin our unit on "Reproducing Life--Food and Agribusiness." As we move through this unit, I want you all to read the assigned texts keeping in mind some of the ideas we've discussed the past couple weeks: how ideologies work, geographies of inclusion and exclusion, and the importance of paying attention to place in accounts of globalization.
On Tuesday, we'll watch the film Food, Inc. about agribusiness in America. You'll also be reading the first two chapters of Stuffed and Starved, which explores the effects of growing agribusiness on different parts of the world. In both, we'll pay attention to what it means to question where our food comes from and the many forces that are at play in food production.
As you read and develop your commentaries this week think about the following:
- How does the author, Raj Patel, challenge the ideology of personal choice and personal freedom when it comes to food production and consumption? What other explicitly geographic ideologies does Patel challenge? For example, how is the myth of "Shining India" created and how does Patel reveal it as a myth?
- What does his look at coffee production tell us about the relationship between producers and consumers? When you buy a $3 latte at Starbucks, where does the money go? And why does the production and consumption of coffee have such an "hourglass figure"?
- What connects farmer suicides in South Korea, India, the U.S. and China and why does Patel write that the suicides he recounts are "not only individual tragedies, but social ones"?
- How does evidence presented in Stuffed and Starved challenge Thomas Friedman's vision of globalization?
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ReplyDeleteThe author Raj Patel challenges the theory of ideology and the thought of personal choice and personal freedom when it comes to food production and consumption by theoretically stating how in ways our personal choice and personal freedom is challenged to an extent. His theory of ideoogy gives us a deep look into why in fact there are flaws in our markets and economies as well as to why there are more people in this world that are not only overweight but of the same factor people appear to be both underweight and starving, even though our free markets and our political and economical system make and create the funds to produce more products things aren't as great as they can be as far as we perceive them and want them to be. Patel's look into coffee production describes the price of coffee in establishments as clearly a way of lving life but further goes into detail on the specific journey of coffee beans from the bankrupt coffee farms that lay in Africa to the daring fate of crop growers and coffee growers in Guatamala compared to the conditions of paddy terraces in Thailand roughly showcasing the relationship between producers and consumers as being undoubtedly treated unfairly and inhumane, the equal opportunities available don't travel and go as far as it should. Buying a $3 latte or cup of coffee at Starbucks, once leaving our hands and into the hands of the employer of the company the money clearly doesn't go toward the workers and growers of the product in another country, it goes toward the employers, the company of starbucks and every other franchising product related to starbucks and every location located throughout the world.
ReplyDeleteThe connections of farmer suicides in South Korea, India, The U.S and China go hand in hand with the relation of globalization and false choices and misleading information given to our society by supermarkets which led to the devastating gloabl tragedy and the real main reason for famine in both Asia and Africa. It recounts as not only "individual tragedies" but social ones because as we as a society depend upon the "agribusiness" and supply of food and products for without them we should not survive as a means of a group of people that look forward to it's supply in our hectic lives making our progress as business ventures that much easier.
-Nyashia Giles
We all think that in USA we all have choice of freedom to be able to do anything our heart desires and to be able to make our own personal choices , but are we really controling what we want or need vs. What we have or given. In The book "The hidden Battle for the world food system" written by Raj Patel, In his introduction he gives us little bit details of how the world works in the food system and how USA and other large countries are controling our food choices which is negitively changeing us day by day starting with our health to the health of the economies of all around the globe. Raj Patel say in the beganing that India Is also changing because of the large number of fast food everywhere which making people over weight and causing more and more diet related diseases such as obesity, over-weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes type 2 and high cholestrol and even childrens are diagnosed with these kind of illnesses and these are not childhood diseases. Coffee production tell us about the relationship between producers and consumes. It seems like that USA has the largest amount of coffee production in the world, they buys good as well as they sell the goods. The world is now alot like how Thomas Friedman's discribed it as ,it's becoming flat. Because one country now finds every easy way possible to connect to another country like how Food production expaned through out the world .
ReplyDeleteSALIHA LIPI
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ReplyDelete"Stuffed and Starved", is first of all, and we all must pay attention - a non-fiction book.
ReplyDeleteRaj Patel describes the real situation as it's today in the food chain, but also he reveals he different cause and effects factors that have influenced the agribusiness and the food market worlwide. The first focus that will be given to us - is the focus on India, an economically underdeveloped country that suffers, as most of the developping countries, from the western fast food expansion. And this, regardless and despite the fact that a large part of India's population is living under the threshold of poverty. Indians, influenced by the new slogan that had been placed in 2003 and reinforced in 2004, - "India shining" , that was supposed to describe the optimism of India's economical rise the best at that time , increased their will and capacity to consume. The "India Shining" mainly used by politic parties during regional party elections, have also placed, due to it's popularity, a new model of conduct and behavior for Indians. People were encouraged to live fast-food. Shortly after, those people have encountered a western countries problem such is - obesity. The world's community have seen a really controversial image: A developing nation, that has difficulties with providing and getting food from agriculture for itself - was getting overweight. The "India Shining" slogan received a lot of criticism from various medias and political critics for ignoring at that time -social problems, including poverty and social inequality, while being completely obsessed with the an ideology of another India.
A second focus is given to us from a place that every student is pleased to frequent - the Starbucks coffee shop . And more precisely it's coffee industry. How much from $3 that I've paid for my Latte will actually go to the farmers that have grown their coffee beans for me? Almost nothing. I'll pay to that bartender, to the adminstrator for it's cafeteria space rental, to the employer that will pay wages to his employees but barely nothing to the farmer. The production and consumption relationship of Starbucks coffee products by it's consumers and it's providers is well-shown by the case of the "hourglass figure". The company gets an enormous quantity of raw materials that can be visualized as the big amount of sand in the top bulb part ; the sand that passes trough the tight neck - is equivalent to the process of exemption of different import, export, shipping, production, labor expenses; and for the thin trickle of sand that flows down - it represents the profit that the original coffee beans growers and farmers from Thailand, Africa, Guatamala -often working in unhuman conditions- will get from your purchase.
Another focus given by Raj Patel to us concerning the agribusiness situation - was the focus brought to us from four different countries: South Korea, India, the U.S and China. And more precisely about the tough, identical situations that these farmers face : they're being oppressed by the quantity, quality, price and concurrency of the big corporations that droved them out of the food market, and pushed people whom worked there to commit suicide after endorsing total bankrupcy. And it's not only an "individual tragedy" matter - it takes also a social aspect. As we make our conclusion after viewing and discussing such problems, we are clearly able to see the connection between agribusiness and the society, the community that we're living in and this dirty business - branch of global economy that we fully depend on today.
Tashibay Aigerim.
Patel challenges the idea of personal choice and personal freedom in the food industry by pointing out the limited existence of both. He points out that the industry giants – the people that own these huge companies- are really making all the decisions for the consumer. For example, there are lots of different varieties of apples, but only a select few can be found in supermarket shelves. Meanwhile, we have twenty to thirty varieties of cereal on the shelves. He points out that the consumers “Choice” is really the producer’s decision. Patel points out that contradiction is alive and thriving in even the most unexpected of places. In America, the richest country of Earth, where we have Costco, Wal-Mart, BJ’s, and other giant food stores there are also 35.1 million people (according to statistics from five years ago) don’t know where there next meal is coming from. India- who is supposed to have what Patel terms as a “knowledge fueled economy” is home of the increasing rate of farmer suicides, increasing rate of poverty (although the government likes to play with the numbers to serve their purposes), and plummeting rate of blue-collared jobs. When we buy a $3 coffee- well for those who like Starbucks, I prefer to make mine at home- the money goes primarily to the big companies, only pennies- literally – make it to the farmer. The farmers in the U.S., South Korea, India, and China are all connected because the farmers are suffering under massive amounts of debt. Debt that was created out of the demand of big companies, low pay for the fruits of their labor, and poor living conditions. They were forced to work for less, and when hard times hit the only choice they had was to borrow more and keep on trying. In most cases life was too hard to continue living, and without any kind of support from the government, things would only continue downward and leave the farmers in hopeless positions. Sometimes the farmers took their lives, leaving behind families who would have to continue suffering in even harsher conditions. But, as Patel points out, it wouldn’t really matter to the industry giants- there were other people out there willing to produce more and work for less. I think he was right- these tragedies are not isolated to individual families, they are reflections of the state of the country as a whole.
ReplyDeleteKrista Kaszycki
After completing these two chapters Raj Patel gives us an insight into different areas in te world and there agricultural stability. His ideology challenges all countries who produce and export goods. The main example is india and how once it gained its indepence was expectd to be a major player in the agricultural indusrty. As you further progress in the reading we find out that thanks to establishments and there specific needs the farmers could complete the required amounts and began taking loans from banks that they couldnt afford. Eventually the affect of supply and demand took place in India where they had very few goods and the amount of money to process these goods was more than actually producing these goods. This led to many farmers commiting suicides which increased this time all around the world. This is how Raj Patel revealed that the "Shining India" was a myth.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between produce and consumer is very inpersonal for the fact that the large interprises.They control the prices of the gross productivity of coffee beans. Were it becomes almost impossible to make a living and they overcharge the consumer. They could care less about the farmer because there is many others that they could purchase from that even there suicdes have no affect on them.
Basically the buisness ladder reaps the benifits of the poor farmers and raise the prices and benifit.
Raj Patel in his book, “Stuffed & Starved” challenges the ideology of personal choice and personal freedom that how the powerful nations are controlling the food and economic system of the world. He is emphasizing and opening the both faces of the picture in front of us that few are stuffed with food while the other are being oppressed, starving and dependent. The author talks about the situation of India that the increase in the fast food trend is affecting the agribusiness. Due to the excessive use of fast food the diseases like obesity are also becoming the hallmark of Indians as well. This is where the Thomas Friedman’s vision of globalization fits because the fast food is making its way around the world and connecting the world in all aspects including health issues and benefits.
ReplyDeleteFor past couple of years the slogan “India Shinning” is getting popular because there seems to be a little boost in the economical sector and consumption, but in reality this is all just politics. Actually the society is totally hollow and unorganized.
As we take a look at the coffee production and the relationship between the consumers and producers, we will be surprise that producer is in big loss. When we pay $3 for a latte at Starbucks, the money doesn’t get distributed equally which means that the huge amount goes to fulfill Starbucks corporation’s expenses’ and very little amount goes to producers and farmers. Food market is mostly influenced and controlled by the big corporations which not only pushes the farmers back but also give boost to the monopoly. This behavior towards farmers discourages the agribusiness but also cases farmer to attempt suicide.
First and for most this was an interesting read, it allowed for a broad perspective on the food industries. I go to the store and don't even think twice about what I buy. I loved the way Patel challenge the ideology I had of production. Like how many people know the pricing and labor of the middle man? or even of the atual farmers? He makes many interesting and good point. Like how the food industry makes it seem as if us, the consumers, have choices when in reality, the choices we have are limited. For instance certain farms are only built to produce coffee. So therefore those farmers are limited and restricted to farming coffee. The choices that are given to us are truly not are own, especially in the supermarkets. Yeah, we have a variety of things to choose from but we are still limited to what the corporation wants to produce, our choices are determined by the power of food corporations. The definition of Shining India is that there is a decrease in the rate of poverty. excuse my french but, BULLSHIT. Poverty is almost always associated with hunger. According to Patel in order to be considered poor or “hungry” in the 1970’s one must consume less then 2400 calories a day. this was the standard up until 1999-2000. During this time in order to be considered “hungry” one had to consume less then 1970 a day. Now statistically as an over view this allowed for India’s poverty rate to decrease but in all actuality it remained the same or in some cases got worse. Because of these standards and the hard ship of making money the amount of farmer suicide has increased. Most farmers borrow money to farm and make a money for their families. With ages so low, they usually end up putting them selves in debt far beyond imaginable. Most end up killing themselves or committing “Farmer suicide.”
ReplyDeleteHave you ever think about how food grown? According to "Stuffed and Starved" written by Raj Patel, he pointed serveral facts that "someone" is controlling all of us behind, but we don't have clear answer indicate "who". We all have our own freedom to choose what type of food we want to eat, but most of us were affected by the effect from the television. The choices of the food seems stick into our mind deeply when we were just a kid. Some large countries like United States, and India arethe great example to show us how these food affacting humen physically. We can see many of the American are obses. On the other hand, most Indian have diabetics because they are eatting too much wrong kinds of food in a long period. In fact, we surely understand those business men or women wants to earn moeny from us, and they can reach better lives by earning profits from us. What can normal people get in the end? I guess the answer is obesity, biabetics, hunger, and the death. The relationship between produce and consumer is really unfair which suprise all of us. These big boss took all the proficts into their self-proket. The farmers who did the hard work can't get any profit and they only received a little amount of the salaries. Many farmers were committed suicide since they were living in the poverty and had a great pressure. We can't imagine how agribusiness is in the dark century now.
ReplyDeleteKa Lee
Stuffed and Starved by Raj Patel
ReplyDeleteRaj Patel starts off with novel about obesity. That people who eat less and not the right kinds of food are more likely to be obese. Now that has a lot to do with whether you have the money to buy the food in the food markets. Many poor people cannot afford the best food for them self and their family. Here is when he describes to us how our personal choice and freedom is being challenged. First it’s our freedom to buy the food that is getting taken away. People work hard, they get their money, and then it isn’t enough for the essentials that your family needs. He goes on to describe what the supermarkets carry. He makes us think a lot of why there are these brands and if we just assume that it’s here because it’s the best. We would think that we would be getting to best, but we just get whatever can last through the brutal trip here. Therefore our personal choice is taken way. We cannot have what is the best for us or to our liking. We are stuck with whatever they choose for us. Giving us certain amounts to pick from doesn’t give us our personal choice.
Patel looks more into the background when he describes the production of coffee. We takes us into the view of the farmers, he reveals their hardships to us because they probably never crossed our mind. They are making little to no profit off the coffee we buy. Which I would say is a shame, when they are the farmers and doing all the hard labor. Which is drawing our attention to where does our money go when we do purchase coffee? Basically all our money goes to the bigger corporations. That’s why we have the hour glass figure. It shows how many people are in each section; it shows what our money goes to, and how it isn’t being disturbed unfairly.
An effect to this is that many farmers commit suicide. Many Farmers in South Korea, India, the U.S. and china have committed suicide. There connection and reason for this fatal response is because they are in too much debt. The power and money hungry corporations have no remorse or care for what they cause. They want to make their money off of us and rob their farmers. He explains that these deaths are not only the individual families’ tragedy but also a social one because it’s a reflection of the country.
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ReplyDeleteAuthor Raj Patel Gives a insightful look a modern food consumption and distributions. He explains how our supermarkets have focus too much and imported good to make it seem as if there is a variety on the supermarkets but they don’t place and importance on local products. Raj uses apples and example of how food suppliers prefer to import rather them those locally grown The author also points out how countries including our own have many people starving even thought we are producing more food them ever before used India as an example he said that “…the quality of food eaten by India’s poorest is getting worse for the first time since independence in 1942.” Even the government has acknowledged the fact that multinational soft drinks corporations have invade the economy lower the quality of food. The problems this presents is that of obesity and other poor diet relate health problems that have become a problem in India the US and Mexico as the author points out in the book.
ReplyDeleteIn the second chapter Raj Patel points out how when India got its independences the ware view a rags-to-riches story when that was far from the true even though there were many companies that outsource their jobs to India the people who work there still live in relative poverty the authors points out “urban progress camouflages poverty in the city” they were able to accomplish this by moving the poverty line to a lower level India can advertise its self as being much better than it actually is this myth of a Shining India was reveal by the author.
There is also a grimmer to farming that author points out that in South Korea, India, the U.S. and China famers are committing suicide because they can’t make a profit on what they sell all the suicide where connected by the fact that the framers where in poverty brought about the unfairness of the free market on individual farmers as well as unjust treatment of the local farmers by big corporations. Patel also write how the suicides he recounts are "not only individual tragedies, but social ones" even though there is clear evidence on what’s happening in the agricultural business but still we are to dependent on it and we as a society are the ones that make the choice to buy the products from agricultural business is like we are endorsing what is happening.
The reality that is being displayed in the book Stuffed and Starved by Raj Patel is one that focuses on the globilization of the food industry. From our supermarket aisle to the places where they are farmed in our choices are limited from various selections like coffee and fruits. Apples called the rambo, reinette and black oxford( to name a few) are examples of what we dont see on our shelves due to the pesticides and traveling they cannot withstand for edible consumption. With America being the highest production of it we see that it has become a network in where food is not only being imported and exported but agriculturaly manipulated to achieve a higher standard and a larger variety for produce that can withstand those elements. Harming our health here in the states and overseas with illnesses such as obesity and type II diabities. In the documentary Life and Debt we also see this patern of the food market being turned into a corperation. Jamaica for instance is not able to see their revenues and when they invest in their own land for crops from IMF or WTO they end up owing on loans without the opportunity to supply us markets. Seeds are being produced and patented all around in various countries to maintain the level of controlled production that is challenging their ecomomies. Farmers abroad and overseas are experiencing difficulties supplying the demands based on their evironmental agriculure therefore coming short of a financial profit losing out on gains and increasing debt. This has created a personal dilema amongst farmers. The guilt and frustration of not being able to continue in the business handed by previous generations for most, has stressed many families showing that framers are frequently engaged in sucidal tragedies out of deperation and hopelessness. As for the technological aspect Shinning India is looking more towards advances in this area with many not having the education but are still able to succeed in this field. The idea that is presented is that we really dont know how these choices that are made for us strip us of our own and that many levels are touched by this one social issue which is a large one such as what we place in our mouths on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteThe reality that our food industry in agribusiness is run as a corperation is part of the ideology that is presented in Stuffed and Starved. From our limited selections in our suppermarket isles to the farmers who grow the crops and how. Most of the revenues that are generated by larger corporations are never equal to the distrubutor. They incur more debt and labor than profit which creates an unbalanced effect on both ends . In many countries farmers are becoming frustrated with the debt to rate that is being anticipated of them by angencies like the IMF that they simply cannot comply and commit sucide causing lots of heart aches to family and fellow farmers in the industry. Due to their hopelessnes and desperation to keep up on a system that seems completly unfair that it ends in tragedy for many here in our own back yards and abroad. This is being seen in the United States, South Korea , China and India as well as other places we probably aren't even aware of. while so many around the world are starving we are here over eating and are active participants wether we know it or not in this whole food system that has been created. In India where most are not even able to read there is an increasing amount of technological interest and knowledge being displayed which is spoken of in the Shinning India paragraph because they simply cannot keep up with the agricultural business leaving many of them without other choices due to low wages and limited jobs so many go elsewhere to find empoyment in rural industry areas. To be honest after learning the deatails of what goes on behind the scenes as a consumer it makes me more aware that my choices can actually effect different people in different places. Hopefully it may have a lasting impact if more could do the same.
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