Geography 378 Final Exam
What challenges do modern beef cattle ranchers face to remaining profitable?
"Farmers and cattle ranchers are losing their independence, essentially becoming hired hands for the agribusiness giants or are being forced off their land. Family farms are now being replaced by gigantic corporate farms with absentee owners." -FFN -Basically, its either sell your soul to the devil (ag giants) or be forced out of business by the devil -there is an increased tax burden -expansion is necessary but difficult -more and more equipment is needed to keep up with production but that equipment is extremely expensive
Why did southern Idaho become the center for US potato production?
"The state's altitude, warm days, cool nights, light volcanic soil, and abundance of irrigation water made it an ideal setting for growing RussetBurbank potatoes." - FFN -the Minidoka Project was a series of public works by the US Bureau of Reclamation to control the flow of the Snake River in Wyoming and Idaho, supplying irrigation water to farmlands in Idaho -the 1904 Reclamation Act: 15 dams channel irrigation water and form reservoirs for try periods and over 1 million acres of land were irrigated
Describe changes that took place within the meatpacking industry over the course of the twentieth century. What prompted these changes?
- Over time the corporations began to increase production and despise workers unions which sought to make reforms to improve conditions for the employees. - The Fordism of all professions began make conditions absolutely terrible for the workers. - In 1906 Upton Sinclair published "The Jungle" which exposed the disgusting conditions of the meat packing factories, mostly in Chicago. This shocked the public and lead Congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug act. - The meat packing industry then became a respectable profession of the middle class - Then the 1960's hit and working conditions again began to plummet. -From the 1970s to present, slaughter houses began moving west -now, slaughter house jobs are low paying, low skilled jobs that lack unionization and the slaughter houses are becoming more and more automated
In what ways has the fast food industry adopted the mechanics and ideology of the industrial assembly line originally developed by Henry Ford for the automobile? Think both about downstream (food inputs) and upstream (retail sales environment) componenets of the commodity chain.
-Developed a technology and machine driven system which requires very little input and skill from humans. -Satellite imaging and statistics are implemented to pick out prime restaurant locations (such as next to schools or in developing suburbs) -Machines have fool-proof instructions that making using them a no-brainer. These instructions are mostly pictures only, which let employees understand what to do no matter what language (IF ANY) they can read/understand. -This system has exponentially increased output and makes the company more dependent on the machines and equipment than on their flesh and blood employees, which makes them expendable.
broad societal factors or trends that have led to the rapid growth of the fast food industry.
-the market aimed at attracting children, poor, those who need a quick meal -easy quick and cheap -cars=spread of suburbs=interstate system=ability to travel and commute (fast food started in suburbs) -drive in culture had carhops which attracted attention of teenage boys which didn't lead to family friendly environment (fast food changed this) -teenagers could work hear for really low pay, and teenagers were much more malleable and obedient -franchise offers more security to those who want to open a restuarant
Identify a variety of ways that the fast food industry has contributed to the American (and global) obesity epidemic.
1) Food is absurdly high in fat and sodium, provides little nutrition 2) is cheap, quick, convenient, and easy 3) marketed towards kids 4) partnership with soft drink companies whose products contain high fructose corn syrup
Identify two venues in which the fast food industry has increasingly taken on a role usually reserved for government, e.g. providing specific services for the well-being of a population.
1) Sponsoring schools; giving money to them to promote their food which buys textbooks, supports sports programs, etc 2) has helped for the development and growth of rural areas?
Understand the four types of "proof" that Dr. Lustig outlines. When the food industry asks for "scientific proof" of the adverse consequences of HFCS, why are they asking for the impossible? Most medical knowledge is based on which type of proof?
4 Different kinds of proof: 1) Anecdotal 2) Correlation/association (without causation) 3) Causal inference Scientific evidence (randomized, controlled experiments) Most medical knowledge is based on scientific proof, but its unethical and difficult to do randomized, controlled experiments on people
What is a beef trust?
A trust is a term used to describe a monopoly or near-monopoly situation; at the beginning of the 20th century, a trust existed in the beef industry of legal monopolies to control prices and keep profits high; in 1917, five largest meat packing companies controlled about 55 percent of the market; federal government had to step in, implement "trust busting";
McLibel Case
An offshoot of Greenpeace was protesting McDonald's food and handing out flyers to people in the street in Great Britain; McDonald's took them to court for libel; 3 of the people immediately settled, but 2 decided to fight it; the case went on for years and years bc British libel laws say you have to prove that everything written was true; McDonald's made a mistake in going to court because that allowed a court subpoena of McDonald's records Finally, in 2005, on a second appeal, they took the case to European Court of Justice, which overturned decision and said the two people had not been given a fair trial
JR Simplot
Born in 1909, Simplot was the largest shipper of fresh potatoes in the US; he pioneered technology to dehydrate potatoes and onions making it easier to freeze french fries;
In the video "Fat Chance 2.0," Dr. Lustig sets out his evidence for why obesity is a public health crisis, not an individual problem. What is his argument?
COME BACK TO!!!
Why can't OSHA do its job in slaughterhouses and ensure that they are safe places to work?
Companies understate injuries and cover up accidents by keeping 2 injury logs and lying to OSHA inspectors. They also higher out their own doctors to help cover up these accidents and have employees come in to work to avoid reporting lost work days.
`CAFO
Confined Animal feeding operation; can be confined in a feedlot, big pig barn, big henhouse
Monoculture
Cultivation of a single crop in a given area; the Irish potato farming before the famine; also the russett burbank grown in monoculture; if one is killed by something else, they all are
Why has E. coli become so common in the American food supply? Identify several strategies that would help reduce it.
Esherichia Coli or E. coli, is a microbe that is naturally found in the guts of mammals, humans included, and normally functions as a healthy component of the immune and digestive system when all of the collective bacteria numbers are in balance. But when this balance is disturbed, be it by food eaten OR antibiotics disrupting the balance of bacteria in the gut, E.coli (or any other microbe for that matter) will begin to multiply rapidly and overtake the other bacteria. The real problem arises when a strain of E. coli is one that produces a dangerous toxin called Shiga toxin, one such strain being E. coli O157:H7. - Feeding cattle, which were designed by nature to eat grass are being feed massive amounts of grain due to cheap prices and making the cow much fatter, way faster than a diet of grass. -This diet of grain only causes the cows to develop acidosis in their stomachs, which interrupts the balance of gut bacteria, causing E. coli to thrive in abundance. -to combat this (instead of simply changing the cow's diet) they pump the cow full of antibiotics, to attempt to kill off the E. coli, which only makes the bacteria more and more resilient as it adapts and becomes resistant to the antibiotics. -When the animal is slaughtered and processed the cattle are already in extremely unsanitary conditions and stand in their own feces for days on end. Feces which is SATURATED with E. coli, has no effect on the cow, who spreads it unknowingly. The animals are poorly cleaned if at all and the meat gets mixed up with the fecal matter. WAYS TO COMBAT THIS! 1) get the cows out if their own manure 2) properly clean the cattle before and during processing 3) stop feeding cows anything but what they're designed to eat (grass) 4) STOP abusing antibiotics
GMO; give an example
Genetically modified organism; an example of a GMO is Bt corn, which is modified corn that produces toxin that kills insects while the plant is also immune to roundup (also known as roundup ready corn) ; leaf potato used in late 90s/early 00s used gene from common soil bacterium that would kill Colorado Botato beetle
Understand the role of politics in the dominance of the fast food industry. What kinds of issues does the fast food industry lobby U.S. Congress about? Offer specific examples
Government is either in the corrupt food production company's pocket OR they have no power to do anything to regulate the company. - Government is ingrained deeply into the fast food industry due to providing funds for the corporations. - Governments hands are tied when it comes to those looking to reform certain aspects of the fast food system. -Fast foods don't want to disclose what is in their food/how they make their food so they fight against proposed legislation that would make them disclose this
Where is the culture hearth of potatoes? Identify the significance of the following potato varieties: "lumper", Russett Burbank, New Leaf, Innate
Idaho! - Russett Burbank was large in size and high in starch (now grown in monoculture, which is dangerous because when one thing gets to one russet burbank, all the russett burbank will die) content, perfect for frying - Lumper was the potato favored by Irish farmers prior to the Blight. - New Leaf potato was the nation's only biotech potato which ended up being recalled - Innate potato developed by JR Simplot company to resist bruising and browning, but mainly to prevent the potatoes from turning green (due to the amino acid asparagine which turns to acrylamide when the potatoe is fried) which makes the potato carcinogenic when it's fried.
What is the difference between natural and artificial flavors? Is one safer or healthier than the other? (why or why not?)
Natural flavors have one or more ingredients that are derived from something naturally occurring (doesn't have to be root flavor, thought); artificial flavors are simply flavors made in a lab setting -there is not much difference in health between the two because both are created in a lab because 1)we aren't quite sure of all health side effects yet and 2) these flavors can often be addicting, designed to make you want more
OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration; sets and enforces work place safety standards
Transgenic
Organism whose genome has been altered by the transfer of gene or genes from another species or breed
Big food corporations (e.g. McDonalds, Coke, Monsanto) put consumers of their products before profits. Do you believe this? Should they? Discuss your answers to these two questions and provide evidence to support your arguments
Personally, I do not believe that these big food corporations put consumers before profits. Evidence is outlined below: 1) Monsanto refuses to budge after many attempts by outsiders to research into the effects of GMOs. For example, Monsanto only did a 3 month study of the effects of GMOs, and this study was done by Monsanto researchers. However, another researcher out of France conducted a much longer study that found an immense amount of side effects on the rats. Monsanto refuses to acknowledge this study as credible, and continues its use of GMOs 2) The McLibel case showed clearly McDonald's disdain for revealing to customers certain health concerns. It showed how McDonald's would go out of its way to prove it wasn't doing anything wrong, just to keep a profit
Five Themes of Geography
Place, Location, Region, human-environment interaction, diffusion
Identify the culture hearth of fast food and specific types of diffusion that were involved with its spread across the U.S
San Bernadino, California; -Contagious diffusion: many took McDonald's ideas and created their own franchises similar to McDonald's -Stimulus diffusion: Taco Bell made Mexican food with assembly line -Relocation diffusion: people who took McDonald's ideas founded places in other areas of US -Reverse Hierarchical diffusion: started in suburbs, and later is found in city centers
What does Michael Pollan mean when he states that modern grocery stores offer an illusion of diversity?
That even though there are hundreds of different brands and labels in the typical grocery store, there's really only a hand full of corporations
Speedee Service System
The Speedee Service System, created by McDonald's, replaced glassware and silverware with disposable silverware and created a system in which each employee was only responsible for one step of food preparation; carhops were eliminated, making customers responsible for getting their own food; the system allowed McDonald's to hire low-skilled workers and not have to pay them as much; it increased efficiency, lower prices, and increased the number of customers, as the working class was now included
Given the huge demand for French fries, you would think that Idaho's potato farmers would be doing very well financially. Why aren't they?
There are three "french fry giants" who own the industry of potato farming. Potatoes are a bulk commodity, manufactured in high volumes at low profit margin. The market is an Oligopsony (a market in which a small number of buyers exert power over a large number of sellers). Processing companies drive down the price offered to potato farmers. Every $1.50 spent on a large order of fries equals maybe 2 cents to the farmer. Pressure to get bigger or get out of business Machines cost too much, putting farmers in debt.
Why does the fast food industry rely so heavily on teenage workers? Are these workers exploited? (justify your response)
These teenage workers are much more obedient/harder workers because this is how they earn money for their social life; they are also more naive yes, they are exploited in that they are often paid minimum wage, work late and extra hours, and often break rules to help boss earn more $$ -they are non unionized, and part time so they have no benefits
Is fast food good for the United States? Is it inevitable or is there another way? Think broadly as you compose your response, and justify your response with specific arguments and evidence.
While fast food certainly contributes to the fast paced lifestyle of our increasingly urbanized and modernized society, it is detrimental to the health and well-being of our future society. Innately unhealthy, fast food is addicting, horrible for our bodies (high in cholesterol, calories, sodium), and hurts the agriculture industry by pushing out small farmers in order to meet demands for production. At the same time, the fast food industry has led to controversial and unethical practice on animals. For example, Tyson chicken farms have little regulations and participate in practices many consider unethical. -Unfortunately, at this time in America, the popularity of fast food is inevitable. Like I said before, fast food caters to our lifestyles, and its hard to see the side effects of fast food until something bad actually occurs, which usually happens when its too late to reverse the side effects. Fast food corporations also just have too much power right now to change their practices, unfortunately. Change will have to occur on a small scale, with people eating out less and buying organic, etc. As this small change gains a movement, then governmental change will become more possible. But right now, with a small minority arguing for change, the corporations will continue to win
What are the dangers of a food system based on monoculture? Give an example.
With only one type of food system, it dramatically increases the risk of being wiped out by an epidemic, be it a disease, fungus, or inclement weather. This leaves nothing for the populace to "fall back on". EXAMPLE: The Irish Potato Famine = The Irish had a hard time growing crops due to poor farmland, but eventually began to rely on the "Irish Lumper" potato for almost all of their sustenance in the late 1700's. When a disease came through (known as the potato blight) and wiped out ALL of the Irish Lumper potatoes and caused mass starvation.
oligopsony
a state of the market in which only a small number of buyers exists for a product; this is becoming a trend in food production; for example, in the meat industry there are many farmers, but few meat companies; these big corporations control the market and control the farmers, essentially
E. Coli 0157:H7; how does it differ from other forms of E. Coli? Why is it so prevalent in our food today?
acid-resistant bacteria that is resistant to most antibiotics and has a higher death rate than most other strands; the high corn diet of cows has resulted in this acid-resistant e-coli; animals stand ankle deep in manure, so if one cow gets it, they all do, then e-coli gets in meat at slaughter house; now it is found in other things due to runoff from farms -corn-fed diet makes cow's diet more acidic, which leads to acidosis; while some bacteria are sensitive to the acid of an environment, this strain can thrive in a cow's stomach; this strain is more dangerous to humans because there are no antibiotics to help it and it releases shigatoxins which can cause organ damages
What is a feedlot?
an area or building where animals are confined to be fattened up before slaughter
Define franchise; how did franchises contribute to the rapid diffusion of fast food?
an authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities, e.g., providing a broadcasting service or acting as an agent for a company's products; franchises like mcdonalds got rid of carhops, food was only eaten by hand, the menus were simplified, introduced counter service, and the assembly line cooking "speedy service system" made fast food franchises appealing to customers everywhere; this model of service was adapted in each chain, so customers everywhere could expect the same service; contagious diffusion: many took McDonald's ideas and made it created their own fast food franchise with similar food stimulus diffusion: people who took McDonald's ideas founded places in other areas of US
Bt
bacteria that produces proteins which are toxic to insects; inserted into the new leaf potato to kill the colorado potato beetle
Who is Monsanto?
big agriculture corporation that is the main producer in GMOs; they have patented their GMOs and are notorious for going after anyone who may be illegally planting their seeds (ex. Rinehart in Barlett and Steele article); considered by some farmers as "seed police" and often referred to as Gestapo; you aren't allowed to use Monsanto's seeds over again; Monsanto patented seeds that they had made to be resistant to its own herbicide, Roundup; developed the artificial growth hormone rBGH that is given to dairy cows
Captive supply (of cattle)
cattle committed to a certain meat packer two or more weeks before slaughter; meat packing companies argue that "captive supplies and formula pricing systems are means of achieving greater efficiency, not of controlling cattle prices. slaughter houses require a large and steady volume of cattle to operate profitably; captive supplies are one reliable way of sustaining that volume"; system makes it hard for ranchers make a profit per head of cattle
What is vertical integration and give an example
combination within one company of two or more stages of production that would normally be operated by more than one company; owning all components of commodity chain from farm all the way through production, maybe even to retail; JR Simplot owns all forms of potato production from growth to packaging, potatoes are grown by him, owns a processing plant, owns cattle that eat potato waste, etc
Flavor industry
engineering flavors without actual natural products; the New Jersey Turnpike produces about two-thirds of the flavor additives sold in US; flavor industry IFF manufactures flavor as well as perfumes, deodorant, etc, "basic science behind the scent of your shaving cream is the same as that governing the flavor of your TV dinner"; aroma of food can be responsible for as much as 90 percent of its flavor
leptin
hormone that gets in the way during obesity; it tells you when to stop eating;
Sherman Antitrust Act
law passed by congress in 1890 intended to restore competitive trade and prevent market manipulation; the two decades following the gov't tried to break up the beef trust, with little help
rBGH/BST
rBGH is an artificial hormone injected into dairy cattle causing them to produce more milk; bST is a bovine growth hormone approved by the FDA to also increase milk production
High fructose corn syrup
sweetener made from corn starch used in a variety of food products today; it is thought to cause an adverse metabolic reaction, causing people to get overweight
Fordism
system of mass production put in place by Ford motor company in which one person does one specific task over and over; creation of assembly line production -becomes essential aspect to fast food and Speedee service system
What is an "at will" work schedule? What problems are associated with this practice
this is when an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason; employer can also change the terms of the employment relationship with no notice or consequences;
Lobbying
to influence the vote of members of a legislative body; coke and pepsi donated money to organizations to keep them from voting for restrictions on their products -another example is how ConAgra lobbied for tax breaks for slaughter houses, as well as tax breaks for personal income above a certain level
Synergy
two marketing initiatives create a response greater than the sum of the combined response the two would have elicited alone; McDonald's started adding toys to their Happy Meals which in turn later helped the movie industry (due to toys being movie related)
biodiversity
variety of life in the world or particular habitat;
Deskilled labor
work force associated with minimum skill sets or value; these employees became vital to the success of the Speedee service system as they could be taught one task to complete over and over again and didn't have to be paid as much as a skilled cook