Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Ethics and Corn
Ethics is a discussion of how people should relate to people. In Pollan’s article corn is used as a tool to show how people, animals, products, and organizations all relate to one another. I like to discuss some of the solutions posed in response to Pollan’s corn article. If the problem is dangerous, hybrid, and fossil fueled corn, why can we not set high standards on corn? Why can’t the FDA regulate the products farmers make? This government entity regulates all other corporations’ foods, why is agriculture different? The FDA should follow biological/ecological logic. Corn should be made with current sunlight and cows should be grass fed. I say let the capitalist system sustain the farmers who are able to make an abundance of ecological corn and weed out the others in order to follow the laws of supply and demand. It needs to be a combination of solutions because if we just encourage farmers to make healthier corn, what will keep companies like Cargill and ADM from continuing to produce and use the cheaper, unhealthy corn. If they are still able to use this unhealthy corn and their sell goods for less, consumers won’t necessarily do what is best for them. They will do what is cheaper. McDonald’s is a thriving fast food restaurant and produces obvious unhealthy foods in which Americans still consume. It is fast and cheap. Meat from corn feed cows is also cheaper than grass fed cows. In our capitalist system cheap products fare an excellent chance of beating out the healthier competition. This is why the FDA should mandate healthy corn production from farmers.
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I agree with what Kristina said, in that the FDA, and the government in general, needs to take control of the corn industry and ensure the healthy production of corn. I understand that this is going to be hard to achieve because the unnatural and unsafe way in which corn is produced is very cheap and thus seemingly more desirable, but someone has to take a stance and change this cycle. The fact that people, animals and products are all interconnected only serves to illustrate the expediency with which the production of corn must be changed. Most of the time, people will choose to consume the least expensive option, which currently is the unhealthy corn - but if the FDA changes the laws and regulations and mandates the healthful production of corn, then that will be the only option for people to choose, thus benefiting their health. I acknowledge that this will not be an easy process and will take time, but it is something that needs to happen.
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