Ethics in the American Food Industry - Essay Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: The American Food Industry Introduction Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the American food industry has undergone significant changes. The advent of new technologies has facilitated these changes along with the need to cater for burgeoning population. These changes have made it possible for the United States and the rest of the world to develop their food industry in a manner that has helped eliminate hunger and malnutrition problems within the developed nations. However, the same practices and business strategies that have helped feed most of the world appear to be causing a significant amount of harm and damage through other means. Critics and analysts of the American food industry are becoming increasingly vocal in their discontent with the current business models of the firms in the sector. According to these critics, the use of particular farming, processing and packaging methods are damaging the environment and harming consumers. Other critics are particularly concerned with the increasing deregulation of the food industry as the companies dominating it become too powerful for the central government, leave alone private actors and state authorities. Accordingly, there is a need to restructure the American food industry to make it more sustainable, consumer friendly and to force large companies to shape their operations in a manner that is holistically beneficial rather than profit-oriented. The Unhealthy Nature of the American Food Industry The past three decades have seen an increase in the concerns regarding the American food industry. As large companies such as Monsanto continue to dominate the American food market, critics are concerned that a decrease in the sector’s transparency and regulation is placing lives of people in the US and other countries at peril. These circumstances have resulted in poor eating habits within the American society, partly due to a lack of affordable healthy meals but also because of the increasingly consumerist nature of the nation. The interactions that Americans have with their food are unhealthy in many ways. One of the unhealthy relationships that experts have pointed out is the consumption of foods that contain harmful chemicals. Researchers have discovered that many of the pesticides and insecticides used in households and farms contain chemicals capable of having adverse effects on the mental development of unborn children. When used to kill pests on farms, the pesticides normally runoff into water bodies and into the soil. The crops on the farms then use the water and nutrients from the soil taking up the harmful chemicals in the process. Continued consumption of foods with these chemicals is affecting the mental development of many unborn children, will likely result in an increase in diseases such as autism and is causing a decrease in the general IQ level of Americans. Another unhealthy interaction between Americans and their food involves the consumption of fast food as part of a consumerist culture. The past few decades have seen a large increase in consumerist trends within the American society. Compared to the 1950s, Americans now own more cars, consumer electronics and other user commodities meant to simplify life such as microwave ovens and washing machines. The wave of consumerism that resulted in the increased purchase of all these items also affected the food industry, as Americans are now more likely to eat out than they were before. The practice of eating out has exposed Americans to an industry that mainly produces fast foods engineered to create a craving for more. This has resulted in a widespread habit where Americans prefer to eat unhealthy food that is more convenient and cheaper than the option of home cooked meals. Lastly, Americans also interact with their foods unhealthily by having diets that increase their susceptibility to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity and various cardiovascular ailments. Items such as the cheeseburger, soft drinks and French fries have become a staple of the average American diet, despite the fact that they cause irreparable damage to regular consumers (Norris 1). The growth of fast food chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s shows how popular their meals are with Americans. As Americans increase their consumption of popular meals, most of which contain meat, essential aspects of their diet tend to be left out. Accordingly, there has been an increase in lifestyle diseases in the country, with the prevalence of conditions like diabetes and obesity approaching crisis levels. The large corporations controlling the American food industry are largely to blame for the unhealthy relationships that Americans have with their food. Analysts note that the use of cost-friendly practices in the American food industry is causing a lot of harm to the consumers of the sector’s products. Many companies in the food industry shape their operations in a manner that will allow them to produce as much produce as possible while incurring minimal costs. The use of ingredients like high fructose corn syrup has allowed the companies to reduce the cost of raw materials but it has also made the food products harmful. For instance, food companies use high fructose corn syrup as a substitute for sugar but the substance causes an increase in type 2 diabetes, obesity and is more addictive than normal sugar (Norris 1). Another concern regarding the companies is their willingness to export unhealthy food products to other nations at the peril of the local populations. As the campaign against unhealthy foods increases in the United States, the companies manufacturing the products are increasing their exports to offset the loss of domestic markets. With these exports, the firms have targeted countries that have free trade agreements with the US such as Mexico (Norris 1). These exports have resulted in an increase in lifestyle diseases in the affected countries. Other countries, such as Samoa, have received exports of foods that Americans deemed too unhealthy. Even more concerning is the fact that the companies are willing to use the strength of the American government to resist any attempts by the recipient nations to block the importation or consumption of unhealthy foods. Accordingly, nations like Samoa and Mexico are now struggling with health crises brought on by lifestyle diseases, a predicament that experts blame on the actions of American food companies (Norris 1). Sustainable Food Production Any change in the American and global food industry will have to involve the large food companies because of their dominance in the sector. This involvement will entail a fundamental change in the way that the companies carry out their operations as they shift from a profit-oriented structure to one that caters for consumer wellbeing. Some analysts suggest the use of value chain indices (VCI) that allow regulators to monitor the impact that the production process for a specific commodity is having on the environment. VCIs would expose the inner workings of large companies that have taken over the industry. This transparency would force the companies to return to consumer and environmentally friendly production methods to the benefit of all parties involved. Producing food using sustainable practices would help consumers by eliminating many of the chemicals, additives and ingredients that have negative effects on their health. This would inevitably result in a decreased occurrence in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular ailments. Sustainable production would also help stop the contamination of water and soil that occurs through the use harmful pesticides and other chemicals. Conclusion In its current state, the food industry in the United States is a threat to the wellbeing of Americans and consumers in other nations. The domination of select companies coupled with deregulation and a lack of transparency has allowed producers to use unethical production methods. These methods have helped increase their revenues at the cost of the environment and the consumer’s wellbeing. The government can rectify the situation by encouraging the firms to take up sustainable production methods. However, without immediate action, it is likely that the industry’s current practices will ruin many lives. Work Cited Norris, John. Make Them Eat Cake. FP. Foreign Policy, 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 June 2014. 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