King Corn

As we continue our exploration of the changes in the food industry this week, I am grateful for the comment of one woman, Stephanie, who remarked on the last post that there are many hard-working, good-hearted people working in this field to provide feasible solutions for the many challenges of agriculture and food production. It reminded me of the perspective that the producers of another food documentary, "King Corn," introduced toward the end of their film: that many of these changes that we may regret now were introduced with the good intentions of feeding more at a lower cost. Thus, on this topic, we need to follow the Scriptural injunctions to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19), because the one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him (Proverbs 18:17).

"King Corn" is about how corn has become the staple of our diet, because its by-products are in nearly everything we eat. It is an important subject to understand because it may be a key factor in some of the dominant public health issues of recent decades. The filmmakers obviously have a concern about this widespread mutation in our food consumption, but they do include a poignant scene at the end of the film with former Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, who was obviously proud of what he had introduced in the early '70s. In an editorial last year, the filmmakers write about this scene and the juxtaposition of perspectives:

Dr. Butz recounted the birth of the modern food system with pride. Cheap food, fueled by federal production incentives for corn and soy, had quieted protests over expensive meat and eased worries about hunger. It had untied the hands of entrepreneurial farmers who wanted to experiment with economies of scale. And, in a point Dr. Butz returned to several times, it had left Americans with so much disposable income that even kids my age could afford cars. At his alma mater, Purdue University, there was a parking shortage.

For the better part of an hour, Ian and I tried to muster up the courage to challenge a system that spent, from 1995 to 2005 alone, $51 billion subsidizing cheap corn. Why flood the nation with processed commodities that become fast food? Why drive family farms out of business for the sake of grain companies? Why not subsidize fruits and vegetables in place of corn syrup?

But as our meeting went on, I realized that Dr. Butz’s policies of abundance were somehow understandable. When Earl Butz finished college in 1933, it was the middle of the Great Depression; when Ian and I graduated, it was the obesity epidemic. I had never known scarcity, and had little respect for its power.

That's well-stated and it's just one of the many viewpoint conflicts that surround the issue of food. Therefore, I am recommending that you join me as I continue to educate myself on this subject and watch "King Corn." It is available on DVD, from iTunes, and is streaming for free from Netflix. Below is low-quality version of the trailer. If you want a better quality version, click here.

Comments

[Stephanie]

Hello again, thank you for another media suggestion to investigate. I appreciate that I was able to share my opinion here yesterday in a supportive and gracious environment. I have to say, though I do work in agribusiness, I am essentially exclusively on the Research and Development (R&D) side of things. I should be more aware of the business practices of my company, but alas, there are only so many hours in a day. However, I want to add to my comment yesterday and continue the discussion here- you have uncovered another piece of the puzzle. That, though I suggested and affirm our efforts to produce more food on less land, there is another side of the issue, that has nothing to do with science or R&D. It is the political side, which deals with things like distribution around the globe (dealing with governments and food aid), or the whole lobbying/ subsidizing of farming that goes on here and around the world. I am saddened, as a Believer, to see the good scientific work become reduced to arguments over policy, leaving people to starve while political battle lines are drawn. Agriculture is a complex and fascinating web of activities, to be sure- one reason I guess I keep working in the field!

[Tamara]

Interesting and insightful post. It's left me pondering how one might define and monitor that line between maximizing efficiency and wealth and producing overabundance. In a competitive, profit/margin based industry that's hard to achieve.

[Bethany]

A friend from church sent me to your site via facebook after she joined our local CSA via my facebook post. Anyhow, there are some great free podcast on iTunes on the Ethics of eating yoy might be interested in. One is Where our food comes from which can also be found here....
http://wordforword.publicradio.org/programs/2007/06/08/

and one interviewing Barbara Kingsolver author of Animal Vegetable Miracle. While kingsolver believes in global warming and evolution she still has a lot of good points in both her book and this podcast on reasons for eating local food. Just thought I would share for those looking for more info.

We have switched mostly not 100% but as much as we can. And not only are our waistlines shrinking but we are actually saving money by dealing with the farmers directly and eating less food but better food. I am not a single woman but the mom of four. I am enjoying being back in the kitchen preparing meals WITH my family. It's been great and adventure as we are eating new things and quite fun

[Melissa H.]

HFC is just the tip of the ice berg. Ever wonder why the Mexicans have real cane sugar in their coca-cola and we have HFC in ours? It's politics.