Analysis Of "The End Of Food" Written By Paul Roberts

Humans evolved as a result of what we ate. We began as hunters and gatherers, but as our societies progressed, we realized that we would need to farm to feed our growing populations. Societies that were able to produce food surplus formed the first civilizations. Theorists such as Thomas Malthus thought that since production grows linearly and population size expands geometrically, demand for food would overwhelm the rate of production. However, farmers worked to distribute food more efficiently which led to some countries becoming superabundant. Mechanical harvesting technologies required crops to be more uniform, so scientists genetically altered them. They added supplements to their crops and meats.

Overproduction came about as a result of this strategy. This phenomenon has brought about two different types of countries - those that import only what they need, and those who depend entirely on imports and struggle to feed their citizens. The former includes countries like America, Canada, Britain, and France. Overproduction in these countries has globalized the food industry. Several big companies have taken control over entire industries. The science behind the food we eat is disturbing and repulsive. Consumers prioritize the amount of food they can buy for the cheapest amount over health, because they have no other choice. On the other hand, farmers in economically developing countries cannot afford to buy food unless they grow it themselves, which is not always feasible due to unpredictable environmental factors. While the industrialization of food has lowered costs and seemingly prevented hunger, malnutrition and starvation are rampant all over the world, even in superabundant countries. The environment is paying the price for cheaper food. Our current system is not sustainable, and something will have to give.

I thought that this book was a very interesting read. We don’t spend too much time thinking about our food and where it comes from. The book evokes a feeling of helplessness and suspicion regarding the food industry. It caused me to feel disgust and anger at the big companies who control the industry. I’m ashamed of our country’s role as well. Our greed and privilege has led to tons and tons of food being wasted. One tropical exporter stated, “We get fifteen tons of running beans, and only eight tons can be exported, because the others aren’t straight. Maybe 30% of that can be sliced and processed but the rest - two or three tons - is gone”(66).

Paul Roberts uses many quotes from the people who make up the food industry. He shares his experiences of traveling the world and uses these anecdotes to increase the authenticity of his book. Interspersing these stories and quotes makes the book more interesting because it breaks up the occasional monotony. The End of Food has the ability to open one’s eyes to the going-ons of an industry that constantly deceives consumers. For as good as this book is overall, it still has some flaws. The language used in the book alienates many readers who haven’t experienced higher education. The vocabulary sometimes comes across as purposefully pretentious. Of course it’s understandable that not all chapters can be about the most exciting subjects, but at times it did get hard to trudge through. Some chapters drone on a bit about things that the average reader has no experience with - for example, irrigation systems, the food export industry, and the rate of food for currency as it correlates to worldwide trading systems. Roberts’ is great at delivering facts and information in a way that keeps readers interested.

Overall this is a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about how the food industry has changed as we’ve experienced cultural and technological advancements. The greed of large, rich countries such as America has led to mass genetic manipulation of agriculture. Our desire to have everything look beautiful, regardless of if it’s natural, to have more of everything, and the need for affordability and accessibility have transformed fruits and vegetables into the genetically altered forms we consume today. Corporations add value to their products by creating brands and using marketing techniques to boost sales.

In reality, the seemingly huge variety of brands in grocery stores is an illusion, and all the products are owned and marketed by a small group of companies. These new crops that grow bigger and faster require more nutrients, and therefore more fertilizers. Over the years, these crops suck out so many nutrients from soil that farmers are forced to gradually add more and more nitrogen to return the soil to its initial state. Farmers have turned to corn to serve their needs. Corn products can be found in almost everything we eat, from breakfast cereals and yogurt to toothpaste and salad dressing. Genetically modified livestock are bred to grow larger in a shorter amount of time and need a more fattening source of nutrition. Scientists breed animals to have the most desirable parts of meat. This means that for example, chickens are bred to have huge breasts that make it extremely difficult for the animals to walk more than a couple feet at a time.

The meat we see in stores has oftentimes been reconstructed before being packaged and shipped. The French president of a prominent meat company describes his workers reconstructing a pig “leg” from pieces of trimmed and deboned pork. He admits to the limitations of their process, saying, “Of course, in a real leg you would have six muscles...here we use five to keep the shape as natural as possible. Or even better than nature”(57). This quote summarizes the essence of The End of Food which is that the food industry cares for profit more than the health of their consumers, and that nothing is as it seems.