Main Topic: Does the consumption of raw milk provide more benefits than harm to the body?
Main Points
1)Brief history on traditional raw milk
2)When did raw milk no longer become easily available to the public
3)Laws in the U.S. regarding the selling of raw milk and what the FDA has to say about it
4)Health benefits and disadvantages
5)Would the distribution of raw milk at such high demands be possible?
6)Choosing between raw and pasteurized milk and what some of the public has to say
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Homework #2/Letter informing cost to workers of conventional food.
Dear Reader,
"The food that overflows our market shelves and fills our tables is harvested by men, women, and children who often cannot satisfy their own hunger. "
- Cesar Chavez
The next time you take a bite out of a delicious red strawberry, try to imagine the hardships the person who picked it out went through for you, to be able to indulge in that perfect beautiful strawberry. Most of us are not completely aware that with cheap food, comes many consequences such as poverty, mistreatment, slavery, and denial of basic rights towards workers. We demand that food prices be lowered, but with the cost of conventional food comes exploitation of workers at the lowest end of the economic chain.
A farmworkers family annual wage can be roughly $10,000 to $13,000 if lucky. They continue to be among the lowest-paid laborers in the U.S and most of them live below the poverty line. Foreign-born farm workers are considerably more likely to be impoverished than those born in the United States. Workers brought in under the government sponsored H2-A Visa program are routinely cheated out of wages, forced to pay very high fees to recruiters and are virtually held captive by employers who seize their documents. One should not even mention benefits, because they are even more inadequate. Less than one-tenth of workers have employer-paid health insurance for non-work related health care, and just ten percent receive paid holidays or vacation time. Only about five percent of farmworkers are unionized and get health insurance or a pension. The agribusiness has also managed to exclude the farmworkers from the National Labor Relations Act, which gave workers the right to bargain collectively and form unions. If it has become a bit of a struggle for the average American citizens today financially, imagine how hard it must be for the workers specifically those who are undocumented and are willing to accept low wages. Government assistance such as food stamps, Medicaid, and housing vouchers are not available to these undocumented workers. Obviously, the workers do not make enough money to live comfortably and instead live with others in crowded apartments while some live in employer- provided housing.
Let us now look at another highly important crisis, the workers health. You now are aware that the majority of farmworkers are undocumented and paid minimum wage. They cannot afford medical care, and many have never even visited a medical facility after getting sick or hurt from their labor. In fact, fatality and injury rates for farmworkers rank second in the nation due to heat stress, constant exposure to pesticides, and denial of basic needs such as drinking water and sanitary conditions. The U.S. Environmental protection agency estimates that U.S. agricultural workers experience 10,000 to 20,000 acute pesticide-related illnesses each year. Now, you are probably one of the lucky American citizens that work in an air conditioned office that supplies basic needs such as water, and bathroom facilities. On the other hand, farmworkers spend the day out in the hot sun, bending, and climbing ladders to pick our vegetables and fruits. Did you know that apple workers fill bags with up to seventy pounds of produce and must carry them up and down ladders. Lettuce and strawberry workers bend thousands of times a day. The workers are not always physically capable to do this all day, but have no choice. If you thought slavery was a thing from the past, well think again. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice investigated 125 cases of slave labor on American farms, involving thousands of workers. Mistreatment and health problems remain high, when workers hesitate to report labor law violations for the fear of losing their jobs or being deported. One should also realize that these workers are most likely not receiving good nutrition. Receiving such low salary can force them to depend on eating cheap and easily accessible fast foods, such as McDonald’s. Perhaps, some buy healthy food but in scarce amounts which is not enough to maintain good health. Many farmworkers are overweight and have at least two of the three risk factors for chronic diseases making them vulnerable to asthma, strokes, and diabetes.
As consumers we can make a difference by first becoming more educated on farmworker issues. I advice you to become active and informed, be more willing to pay higher prices for quality food. If you are interested in knowing more about the recent wave of labor migrations to the U.S. find out more about The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Demand that the current laws to protect farmers be enforced. By having the consumers and farmworkers unite, a more powerful and effective change can occur. After all, the consumers actually have a lot of power. We are the ones buying the products and demanding them. By making better choices when food shopping, and refusing to purchase certain products we are telling the agribusiness something. The U.S. has to change the way it views the food industry as solely a high-technology, modern process. Most importantly it must learn to protect and respect its hardworking farmworkers.
So remember the next time you are shopping for grapes, strawberries or lettuce the hands that carefully and steadily took care of it most likely belong to a mistreated and underprivileged farmworker. The effects of retail consolidation have trickled down the productions like to workers, causing wages and benefits for workers throughout the food system to decline. I strongly advice you to become involved, don’t just read this and put it aside. These farmworkers deserve much better.
Sincerely,
Maria A. Salales
"The food that overflows our market shelves and fills our tables is harvested by men, women, and children who often cannot satisfy their own hunger. "
- Cesar Chavez
The next time you take a bite out of a delicious red strawberry, try to imagine the hardships the person who picked it out went through for you, to be able to indulge in that perfect beautiful strawberry. Most of us are not completely aware that with cheap food, comes many consequences such as poverty, mistreatment, slavery, and denial of basic rights towards workers. We demand that food prices be lowered, but with the cost of conventional food comes exploitation of workers at the lowest end of the economic chain.
A farmworkers family annual wage can be roughly $10,000 to $13,000 if lucky. They continue to be among the lowest-paid laborers in the U.S and most of them live below the poverty line. Foreign-born farm workers are considerably more likely to be impoverished than those born in the United States. Workers brought in under the government sponsored H2-A Visa program are routinely cheated out of wages, forced to pay very high fees to recruiters and are virtually held captive by employers who seize their documents. One should not even mention benefits, because they are even more inadequate. Less than one-tenth of workers have employer-paid health insurance for non-work related health care, and just ten percent receive paid holidays or vacation time. Only about five percent of farmworkers are unionized and get health insurance or a pension. The agribusiness has also managed to exclude the farmworkers from the National Labor Relations Act, which gave workers the right to bargain collectively and form unions. If it has become a bit of a struggle for the average American citizens today financially, imagine how hard it must be for the workers specifically those who are undocumented and are willing to accept low wages. Government assistance such as food stamps, Medicaid, and housing vouchers are not available to these undocumented workers. Obviously, the workers do not make enough money to live comfortably and instead live with others in crowded apartments while some live in employer- provided housing.
Let us now look at another highly important crisis, the workers health. You now are aware that the majority of farmworkers are undocumented and paid minimum wage. They cannot afford medical care, and many have never even visited a medical facility after getting sick or hurt from their labor. In fact, fatality and injury rates for farmworkers rank second in the nation due to heat stress, constant exposure to pesticides, and denial of basic needs such as drinking water and sanitary conditions. The U.S. Environmental protection agency estimates that U.S. agricultural workers experience 10,000 to 20,000 acute pesticide-related illnesses each year. Now, you are probably one of the lucky American citizens that work in an air conditioned office that supplies basic needs such as water, and bathroom facilities. On the other hand, farmworkers spend the day out in the hot sun, bending, and climbing ladders to pick our vegetables and fruits. Did you know that apple workers fill bags with up to seventy pounds of produce and must carry them up and down ladders. Lettuce and strawberry workers bend thousands of times a day. The workers are not always physically capable to do this all day, but have no choice. If you thought slavery was a thing from the past, well think again. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice investigated 125 cases of slave labor on American farms, involving thousands of workers. Mistreatment and health problems remain high, when workers hesitate to report labor law violations for the fear of losing their jobs or being deported. One should also realize that these workers are most likely not receiving good nutrition. Receiving such low salary can force them to depend on eating cheap and easily accessible fast foods, such as McDonald’s. Perhaps, some buy healthy food but in scarce amounts which is not enough to maintain good health. Many farmworkers are overweight and have at least two of the three risk factors for chronic diseases making them vulnerable to asthma, strokes, and diabetes.
As consumers we can make a difference by first becoming more educated on farmworker issues. I advice you to become active and informed, be more willing to pay higher prices for quality food. If you are interested in knowing more about the recent wave of labor migrations to the U.S. find out more about The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Demand that the current laws to protect farmers be enforced. By having the consumers and farmworkers unite, a more powerful and effective change can occur. After all, the consumers actually have a lot of power. We are the ones buying the products and demanding them. By making better choices when food shopping, and refusing to purchase certain products we are telling the agribusiness something. The U.S. has to change the way it views the food industry as solely a high-technology, modern process. Most importantly it must learn to protect and respect its hardworking farmworkers.
So remember the next time you are shopping for grapes, strawberries or lettuce the hands that carefully and steadily took care of it most likely belong to a mistreated and underprivileged farmworker. The effects of retail consolidation have trickled down the productions like to workers, causing wages and benefits for workers throughout the food system to decline. I strongly advice you to become involved, don’t just read this and put it aside. These farmworkers deserve much better.
Sincerely,
Maria A. Salales
Friday, March 12, 2010
When professor McCormick said the class was going to be covering food as one of its main topics, I became skeptical and confused. I'm not a food critic and certainly not a great chef. Although, I can prepare several Venezuelan dishes and only because my mom had me helping in the kitchen at a young age. Getting back to the point, in my mind I was saying, "How am I going to write papers about food?" I rather eat food than have to write about it, wouldn't you agree...
Well, I was completely wrong.
Well, I was completely wrong.
After watching a portion of the documentary FOOD, INC., I noticed several things such as the food sitting all pretty on my dish is mostly an illusion produced by dark corrupt agribusinesses. This documentary is much scarier than the last film I saw, Paranormal Activity. Seriously one must realize that this is happening right now, and we are the victims. This film has opened my eyes to an ugly truth, dealing with what I thought of being more beneficial than harmful to the body. The majority of the food industry is a massive monopoly, made up of lies and cheats. The several of "sane" farm owners that are not focused on only making money are facing tremendous challenges and debt. Intimidation and manipulation is being practiced by the big corporations which produce the majority of the products/food we consume. Being that this was the first film I ever saw dealing with this subject, it has really struck me. I do have several friends who are vegetarians, only because they are strongly against the extensive and unnecessary abuse towards animals on farms. However, this is now only a fragment of what is really going on in the agricultural business. I will recommend the documentary to some of my friends, and the book to those who enjoy reading. Hopefully, they will do the same and the word will be spread. I'm going to be much more conscious about the food I eat and buy for my family. I will definitely have to look much deeper into this subject, since it has really caught my attention. It's frightening and should become more popular among the public. We deserve to be treated with respect and we shouldn't allow these corporations and our own government to degrade or endanger our health. Healthy food should not be considered a luxury or hard for us to purchase. We need to start demanding these changes before the health of many more Americans are jeopardized.
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