Elizabeth Colin

Period 7
Food Matters
Prior to the food unit, I felt that the most important aspect of food was culture. I still
strongly stand by my perspective however, I now believe that food has lost its value in society
and is being severely mistreated. I learned that vegetables, fruits, livestock, and grain are
industrialized, processed, and exhausted against their natural cycle. It is now up to people,
myself included, to handle food more sacredly from when it is produced and consumed, to when
it is thrown away.
Americans fear only one thing, inconvenience (Fresh) and because of this fear we mass
produce food, and use pesticides along with other chemicals that are deteriorating our bodies. A
visual text of a cow on the kitchen counter, an enthusiastic mother, and a frightened child with
the caption Mommy wants you to know where your food comes from (Cullum) is an
exaggeration, but not far off from the truth. I was assured that today food is not what one
presumes and its true origin is indefinite. A cow is no longer a cow after the treatment it
encounters on some farms. 40% of world grain produced is being fed to livestock (Cornell)
showing modern agriculture techniques are creating synthetic produce by feeding livestock grain
and going against their instinctual diet. The documentary Fresh gave insight to organic farming
and its value. Having cows eat grass and the freedom to roam is much more beneficial for
wellbeing, sanitation and taste instead of hundreds of chicks trapped in a filthy dark coup.
Healthy and organic cultivation was sacrificed for cheap and abundant produce. I was taught that
this new fashion of agriculture is disrespectful and harmful to the environment and ourselves.
The poor quality of food is not just the fault of the producer but the consumers lack of
knowledge and continued reliance on these products. Will Allen is a very inspirational person
from the documentary Fresh. Allen started the Growing Power Weekend Workshop, and

Elizabeth Colin
Period 7
grows organic food in the middle of the thriving city of Milwaukee. Urban farming is something
I learned and believe should blossom because of its accessibility and importance to share organic
food. Diet related diseases is the biggest killer in the United States, (Oliver) top two being
Heart Disease and Cancer. Jamie Oliver, an activist in fighting obesity, observed that children
need to learn how to cook, a life skill that can go a long way especially if passed down through
generations. As I get older Im more attentive when my mother cooks. I never noticed before, but
if my interest in cooking continues, I could maintain the value of food by being deliberate of
what I make and eat as it demonstrates to others as well.
Another issue with our food is waste. This is a country where we waste half of what we
produce. (Dive) Homes, restaurants and supermarkets are filling dumpsters with tons of food.
This is not just a problem here the European Union wastes nearly 200 billion pounds of food
annually, but with [the United States] 96 billion pounds of food waste, the entire country of
Haiti could be fed for 5 years or more. (Dive). It is critical that not only do we need to slow
down production but we must learn what food is still safe to eat and donate it to those in need. I
am guilty of wasting vast amounts of food and this unit forced me to step back and look how I
can save food.
Through studying the food in class, I learned what food we grow, consume, and trash is
very important. Food was once as lucrative as jewels and I realized that we must grow organic,
eat right, teach the values of food, and waste less so food doesnt lose its luster. Due to this unit I
now truly understand that, Food Matters.

Elizabeth Colin
Period 7
Works Cited
Cornell University. "U.S. Could Feed 800 Million People with Grain That Livestock Eat,
Cornell Ecologist Advises Animal Scientists." U.S. Could Feed 800 Million People with Grain
That Livestock Eat, Cornell Ecologist Advises Animal Scientists | Cornell Chronicle. Cornell
Chronicle, 7 Aug. 1997. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Cullum, Leo. "Mommy wants you to know where your food comes from. N.d.
Illustration. The New Yorker.
Dive - Living off America's Waste. By Jeremy Seifert. YouTube. N.p., 2010. Web. 16
Apr. 2015.
Fresh. Dir. Sofia Joanes. 2009. Film.
Oliver, Jamie. Jamie Oliver: Teach every child about food. TED. N.p., Feb. 2010.
Web. 15 Apr. 2015