Introduction
Agricultural development is a top priority, not only to improve U.S. economic opportunities but also to improve the quality of nutrition. More and more Americans are eating low-quality food, preferring fast food and similar foods to those prepared and grown on the farm. Thus, we can note the general trend of obesity in the United States and the deterioration of the quality of nutrition. In addition, decisions made over 40 years ago are just as detrimental to the field of agriculture and what it looks like today. One must ask the question, what has changed recently in nutrition in America, how have corporations influenced it, and how can all of these problems be solved? This will be the focus of this paper, namely an analysis of the causes, the situation in nutrition and agriculture at this point in time, as well as future prospects for the development of these industries, and their impact on the health of Americans. This paper aims to prove the necessity of those problem’s solution and the way they may be provided.
The Problem of Food Quality and Its Solution
First, it is necessary to consider the causes of the problem in agriculture to better understand the whole concept. At this time in business, there are almost no small companies that would work to provide for themselves and their loved ones by selling crops. In the postwar period, such family businesses were popular, especially in the middle of the last century. Back then, it was a profitable way to feed the family and help rebuild the economies of Europe, according to Leonard, an American investigative journalist (2018). The state bought large quantities of grain and other food products from farmers, providing income to the country through exports and bringing revenue to ordinary people as a famous American writer and journalist Kallen says (2006). Such a plan was beneficial to all parties, as it got both financial and food benefits to both America and Europe in the postwar period when countries suffered from the year and needed to rebuild.
After a while, however, the situation changed not for the better for ordinary farmers. Laws passed in the 1960s said that giant companies should be in the farming business (Kallen, 2006). This was primarily since it was more convenient to contract the sale of goods in this way since there would be no need to make connections with different suppliers at different prices. In addition, it was no longer necessary to have such a large quantity of provisions since, up to that time, most countries had already been able to establish their production lines for agricultural commodities (Kallen, 2006). For this purpose, it was decided to establish trade relations only with large companies that were engaged in a similar sphere of business. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that new technologies for cultivation and accelerated growth of plants have been developed. With the end of World War II, the world needed to expedite the pace of development of the agricultural industry and establish the direction of improving the growth rate of edible plants. Thus, new fertilizers emerged that, despite their chemical composition, could significantly accelerate plant growth and therefore be able to feed more people.
No less important was that plants that were grown in this way did not require special care and cultivation, which reduced the cost of their provision and preservation of the harvest. Professor of Physiological Genomics in University of California Dietmar Kultz mentiones, that this was a turning point in agriculture and significantly reduced the cost of growing and preserving valuable crops (Kultz, 2022). Now that the market was filled with companies that grew crops faster and cheaper, there was no need to support the small family businesses associated with farming as Foer, an unsuspecting freelance journalist, says (2018). It is also worth remembering that the field of agriculture includes not only plants suitable for food but also livestock (Kultz, 2022). As the world was recovering from the war, the problem with meat products was no less than with vegetation. So, the mechanism for buying meat was used the same way as with plant products. Unfortunately, it suffered the same fate as plant products: the transition to large plants.
In order to save money, divots were no longer raised on large farms but were raised in small and cramped quarters that were not adapted to hold animals there. Obviously, this was done in order to reduce maintenance costs as well as to increase storage space for other valuable resources. It is also worth remembering that because chemical fertilizers were used for the plants, they changed their structure. The same was true of the fodder used to keep the animals alive. According to Kallen (2006), “This food changed their taste and texture and carried many bacteria to which the animals were not immune”. Thus, a large number of health problems arose in people who ate meat products influenced by pesticides and carcinogens, which directly affected the quality of nutrition in the country and increased to incredible proportions over the years.
Thus, we can safely say that the policy adopted decades ago influences the culture of food consumption to this day. Thanks to bio-additives, which contain harmful substances, food not only matures faster but also has a more pronounced taste, which makes one want to eat more and more. This is the main reason why the U.S. currently leads the world in the number of obese people (Jonathan Safran Foer, 2018). The easy availability of junk food, its detrimental effects, and the components that contribute to various forms of the disease have become too much a part of the consumer culture and an indispensable part of it. There are now several hundred different kinds of cafes around the world that serve junk food and thereby make a lot of profit from the steady stream of customers without giving much thought to the overall quality of the products.
Moreover, the problem cannot be solved by avoiding eating meat products. This will have little effect on the overall situation since the refusal of these products will not receive the necessary amount of micro and macronutrients, which may be even worse for the overall health. The immediate solution for this kind of problem can be to change the general concept of the approach to the food system and improve the quality. It is also necessary to do away with pesticides and additives, which, although they will raise the price of crops and meat products, are essential measures to overcome the problem of nutritional quality.
A plan must be developed to transition to a safer way of growing crops and other vegetables, especially those needed for animal feed. There are several programs in place right now that provide a transition to a better approach to growing plants that are considered edible, according to the words of Torrey & Yolken, American psychiatrists and schizophrenia researchers (2017). Most of them involve the use of alternative sources of electricity, which also affects the general trend of conservation. In addition, the government needs to pay attention to the number of establishments that provide food services to the population. Not only do such places serve food that has been grown under unacceptable conditions, but the sanitary standards in most of these places are inadequate. This also affects how food affects the human body and its future possible health problems. There are many examples where the lack of compliance with such rules did not involve a large number of visitors.
One more important aspect in solving such a problem could be the creation of a particular body to manage and control the quality of food. It should include the ability to collect information about the origin of products, the method of growing crops, and their supply to food establishments. This way, it would be possible to monitor and manage the food method and regulate the overall quality of the products that customers consume. Moreover, this position be held by people who are most familiar with cultivating plants and animal feed. In this way, it will be possible to create jobs for farmers who have lost their jobs to the influence of corporations. It is essential to understand that to reduce the impact of the subjective opinion of former farmers, as well as to conduct some training to improve the quality of work. One more important detail is to monitor the decisions of these inspections to ensure that there is no bias against corporations that are growing plants suitable for food.
A significant change in nutrition may also have a major effect on the food preferences of the general population. Without emulsifiers and additives, there would not be such a strong desire to eat fatty and calorie-dense foods, which would also affect the entire nation’s health, even without directly abandoning meat products. In addition, famous people – supporters of healthy lifestyles – can be involved to improve the result. This will help motivate people to switch to a new diet, which will also influence the general global trend and affect recent nutrition trends.
Now, having a rough plan for the development of the sphere of nutrition in the near future, it is also necessary to predict the possible consequences. The most important may be general dissatisfaction due to the significant influence and control over this sphere. Still, it should be understood that despite the widespread discontent, it will be beneficial and help to develop a healthier nation of Americans in the long run. In order to introduce this idea, it is necessary not to talk directly about the consequences of this decision but rather to push for self-awareness of the cause and effects of this policy so that it does not seem intrusive and demonstrates only one side of the issue and its solution.
Conclusion
In sum, we can say that the problem of food quality and its impact on the economy and health of not only one country but the whole world cannot be overemphasized. History has dramatically influenced the development of such a problem and created many problems on this ground. Therefore, to solve it, it is necessary to use a well-thought-out strategy and use all opportunities to influence food producers and farmers, including at the legislative level. In the future, this could raise nutrition and health levels for several groups and set an example for other countries.
References
Torrey E. F., & Yolken, R. H. (2017). Beasts of the earth : animals, humans, and disease. Rutgers University Press.
Foer J. F. (2018). Eating animals. Penguin Books.
Kultz, D. (2022). Primer Of Ecological Aquaculture. Oxford Univ Press.
Leonard, C. (2018). The meat racket : the secret takeover of America’s food business. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.
Kallen S. A. (2006). At Issue. Is Factory Farming Harming America? Greenhaven Press. Web.