Chapter nine of Omnivore’s Dilemma was the most interesting and relevant chapter I have read so far. My mother and sister are huge fans of stores like Trader Joes or Whole Foods, which were the topic of discussion in this chapter. I guarantee if you put anything with “certified organic,” “humanely raised,” or “free range” in front of m mom she would buy it in hopes that it will improve the health of her family. I thought it was interesting to read about Pollan’s comparison to expensive organic meat to the meat sold in Safeway. What makes it better? Like most Americans, I am guilty of buying over priced goods in hopes that they are better for me. For example, instead of buying Wal Mart clothes I buy them from designer stores, thinking that since they cost more, they must be more efficient. My dad thinks the same with cars. Why buy a Toyota when you can buy a more expensive Lexus? Even though they are made buy the same company something must make it better. Many Americans make this mistake when buying all good necessary for living.
Like most every product for sale, marketing and advertising strategies play a part in what we buy. I thought it somewhat funny to read about the pictures on the labels of food. Pollan compares the pictures on the label to a story. How organic brands are the hero saving a poor innocent cow. But Pollan points out that either way the cow still ends up dead in our stomachs. This chapter really made me rethink my family’s shopping habits. Not to say that they cannot go to stores like Whole Foods, but just to think about what the food really is and not to judge the product by its packaging.
I think your response can relate to most consumers today. It'd be interesting to see how people would react if they found out that organic is not really what they would think.Still,even if they learn to not put complete trust into overly-hyped labeled products, I'm guessing that people really won't change their living style since the idea of organic food and better quality products give them comfort in our own living.
ReplyDeleteI really like the comparison you made about buying more expensive food, just as most people our age spend more on clothes. This is completely true. Even though you know that the clothes are most likely from the same maker, we opt to buy the designer brands, thinking it is better "quality" and looks better. We buy the food with the "organic" label, thinking it is healthier, and better for our bodies. In actuality it probably came from the same place, if not somewhere worse then the other "non-organic" food that's cheaper.
ReplyDeleteGood points here all round. I think the old idiom that says "you get what you pay for" doesn't always add up though. Perhaps the best way to know whether or not your extra dollars are well spent is to know what you're buying and where it came from. Since this is often impossible with industrial and even organic foods, it makes a lot of sense to cut out the middle-man (I'm a big fan of farmers' markets and local farms).
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