Collaborative Annotated Bibliography

 

Berry, Wendell. "The Pleasures of Eating." North Point Press (1990): n. pag. Web. 5 Apr 2011. <http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/pleasures-eating>.

                Berry claims that "urban shoppers" are simply consumers who don't see themselves as part of the agricultural process - they eat whatever is easiest for them to get a hold of and whatever takes the least amount of preparation with little regard to what it took to get their food to that state.  They see it as a product, and don't appreciate or are unaware of the agricultural processes that are at the root of the product.

Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin Press, 2006. 1-36. Print.

            The book begins by looking at why we eat the way we eat, and what issues this seems to raise with our health.  There have been many shifts in the way we eat, and yet no matter how our diets have changed in an effort to remain healthy, we manage to only become unhealthier. Pollan compares our obsession with eating healthy to the French lifestyle and food culture: they are able to eat whatever they want, base their choices off of tradition, and remain healthy.  Americans base their meal choices off of health trends and are unable to keep a clean health record.  Pollan also compares industrial food to pastoral food, and claims that “there exists a fundamental tension between logic of nature and the logic of human industry” (9).  We have a strained relationship with the natural world that can be seen in the ways we obtain food.  He also gives a history of how corn became “king” in Iowa and throughout our country through changes that permit higher crop yield – the most important of which is synthetic nitrate.  The development of this has eventually led to a “spiral of overproduction” (54), which has put farmers in the state in which they find themselves today – unable to support themselves and their family through the profits of their crops. 

Kenner, Robert & Schlosser, Eric (Producers), & Kenner, Robert (Director). (2008). Food, inc [Motion picture]. United States: Magnolia Home Entertainment.

Food Inc.. takes a look at how today’s meals are being grown, fed, and butchered, and points an accusing finger at the greedy corporations who monopolize the market.  Unhealthy, inhumane, and life threatening practices are criticized and the reality of what goes on in chicken houses, meat packing plants, and bacon factories is documented on film. 
Another issue raised is the fact that the FDA can’t shut down production when they know there is bacteria infecting innocent lives; they no longer have the right to save us. A two year old boy died because ground beef was sold after the company was investigated for e-coli, but the plant continued to sell the tainted meat.
Our fruits, grains, and vegetables are being genetically modified, infected with chemicals, and uneducated consumers aren’t even aware of the unhealthy practices that are controlled by the gigantic hands that feed us. Unhealthy habits are spreading like wildfire as the farmers who plant God’s food, are being run off their farms  by greed and science. The filmmakers encourage the American public to inform themselves, and believe  that if we stand up for our rights, we can bring about change.

Fortier, Andrew. "Potential GMO Benefits". Demand Media Inc. 2 Sept 2010. Web. 7 Apr 2011. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/215371-potential-gmo-benefits/.

    This article looks at the benefits of GMOs.  One benefit it considers is the fact that GMOs can help with food production in areas that are not suited for agriculture.  Many plants are not strong enough to survive in harsh environments, and they can be genetically altered to withstand conditions that they are not meant to be grown in.  Another benefit considered is the added nutritional value in GMOs.  Minerals and Vitamins (such as vitamin C being added to rice in Asia)  can be genetically inserted into plants and made healthier.  Finally, it can help to increase crop yield.

Monsanto. "Food Safety". Monsanto Company 2011. Web. 7 Apr 2011. Retrieved From http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/food-safety.aspx.

    Monsanto's website covers the safety of it's GMOs ontihs portion of their website.  They state that food from GMOs is as safe as food that has not been generically altered.  Because of this, there is no need to run human trials since these foods have already been approved foro safe production and consumption.  They also do not contain cancer causing proteins, and there is no eveidence to link the earlier onset of puberty to GMOs.  The site states that most experts claim that this is due to better nutrition, not genetically modified foods.  There is also no evidence to directly link "allergenicity to currently authorized GMO crops" (Monsanto).   

Green Facts. (2011). "Scientific facts on genetically modified crops". Greenfacts 2011.  Web. 18 Apr 2011. Retrieved from http://www.greenfacts.org/en/gmo/index.htm#4.

    Green Facts is a scientific website that was developed to summarize and further explain the findings of the 2004 Food and Agricultural Organization.  It gives many facts about GMOs and whether they run a high health risk to humans or not.  It also gives details of the findings of environmental impacts of genetically modified foods, their impact on animals, and the details of international agreements surrounding GMOs.

Winter, Sharon. Personal Interview by Jessica Winter. 10 Apr 2011. 25 Apr 2011. <http://missjessiew.weebly.com/oral-history-project--collaborative-research-project--click-here.html>.

In this interview, Jessica Winter sits down with Sharon Winter to discuss her story of survival. She was diagnosed with cancer--Hodgkin's Lymphoma-- in 1993, the day her son was born. She discusses her personal views and beliefs about organic and non-organic foods; she feels that she was healed because she juiced all organic fruits and vegetables and stayed away from packaged and processed foods. So, she is in favor of organic foods and feels that she would not have been healed from her cancer if she had juiced non-organic produce. "I would have been putting pesticides into my body," she says.

(2003, April 15th). "GMO Foods are Safe". Retrieved from http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-environment&tid=1470.

This is a forum post from About.com, posted from a vegan user who frequently researches and writes articles regarding GMO foods.  The aim of this article is to inform the general public of the belief that GMO foods are actually safe, which is a very unique viewpoint to be coming from a vegan.  He discusses the idea of cost effectiveness, nuritional value, pesticide use (or the lack of pesticide use), and the new p[ossible advances that are rumored to be coming our way with experimentation of GMOs.

Tracy Duffield, personal communication, April 1, 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k25YXsx8PU.

In this interview, Casey sat down with current Duffield's manager Tracy Duffield.  Tracy discusses the difference between organic farming and systemic farming.  She addresses their pesticide use and the types of seeds tht Duffield's farm grows.  She claims that conventional foods are much cheaper than organic foods, and that the label of "organic" is an automatic way to increase prices on produce.  Tracy also reveals the difference between Jersey Fresh and "locally grown" foods.