The Sustainability of Food
in The Current U.S.
Economy.
Andrew Bauer
Michaela Decker
Jason Montgomery
Jessica Tapia
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
 What are we eating?
Health Issues
 The start of a fast food craze
 Obesity on the rise
 Diabetes and other health factors
Who is accountable for the
sustainability issues in the U.S.?
 Industrial food Industry
 FDA
 Fast Food
Things you should know about your
food
 Pesticides
 Organic vs. GMO
 Environmental Factors
 Economic Factors
Conclusions
 Solutions
 Kevin’s Law
WHAT ARE WE REALLY EATING?
Food is one of the most basic
needs for a sustainable life yet we
have millions of people all over the
U.S. going to bed hungry because
there wasn’t enough to eat or not
enough money to buy food. To try
and accommodate the growing
group of people farming has turned
more industrial based in an attempt
to produce cheaper food at a faster
rate. This rise of the industrialized
food has given birth to food that is
mainly chemically based (GM
Foods), cloned, or even test tube
made. The cutting of corners is
starting to be a growing concern for
some Americans. Our food is being
produced cheaper but at what
cost? The results can be seen in
our growing health, environmental,
and economic issues discussed in
the upcoming slides.
FACTORY FARMING
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Factory Farming accounts for nearly
99% of all animals raised and
slaughtered in the U.S.
This method of industrialized farming
is an attempt to meet the supply
demands for the U.S. Food Supply
System.
In these farms up to 125,000
animals or more are housed under
one roof in an attempt to have mass
production at a cheaper level.
The animals are feed antibiotics to
accommodate the very infectious
conditions they are placed in and are
kept on a diet that is loaded with
steroids to make the animals grow at
a faster rate than normal.
FAST FOOD EPIDEMIC
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Fast food is highly
processed and prepared
using standardized
ingredients
Much fast food is deep-fried
in partially hydrogenated
oils (or trans fats), which
leads to high cholesterol
rates and heart attacks.
Combined with starchy
vegetables and sugary
drinks, these foods have a
high glycemic load, a factor
that contributes to obesity
and diabetes."
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fast food ingredients contain
more energy, total fat,
saturated fat, carbohydrates
and added sugars than
healthier food of the same
weight with both being
overweight and exceeding the
recommended levels of fat
and sugar.
most fast foods contain
substantially fewer vitamins
and minerals such as vitamin
A, carotene, vitamin C,
vitamin E, calcium,
magnesium and zinc
HEALTH FACTORS
Americans get sick more
often than Europeans or
people from any other
industrialized nation. Since
the mid-1990s, the number
of Americans suffering from
at least three chronic
illnesses nearly doubled.
Life expectancy has
decreased and infant
mortality has increased.
Illnesses once rare are now
common, with some
approaching epidemic
levels. For example:
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Autism Now affects one in 88 children
compared to one in 25,000 in the mid
1970s
Type 2 diabetes reates in the U.S.
increased by 176 percent between
1980 and 2010
Celiac disease is four times more
common now than 60 years ago
Alzheimers disease is rising at alarming
rates. Its estimated that 5.4 million
Americans now has Alzheimers
diesease.
New infectious diseases are increasing
in number, according to a 2008 study
A lot of these new diseases that we
arnt being able to fight off are a direct
result of oversuse of antibiotics in the
food that is fed to the animals which
we consume
HEALTH ON THE DECLINE, FAST FOOD A
CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
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Diabetes
Heart Disease
Stroke
High blood Pressure
The top three causes:
heart disease, all
cancers, and stroke are
largely diet-related
issues. Notice
“homicide” at the very
bottom of the chart.

2010 causes of death
DIABETES ON THE RISE
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One out of every 10 adults in the
U.S. has diabetes and that
number may double or triple by
2050, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention
From 1980 through 2010, the
crude prevalence of diagnosed
diabetes increased by 176% (from
2.5% to 6.9%). During this period,
increases in the crude and ageadjusted prevalence of diagnosed
diabetes were similar, indicating
that most of the increase in
prevalence was not because of
changes in the population age
structure.
OBESITY
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High blood Pressure
Stroke
Abnormal Blood fat
Metabolic Syndrome
Cancer
Osteoarthritis
Sleep Apnea
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OHS
Gallstones
The obesity epidemic is
one of the country's most
serious health problems.
Adult obesity rates have
doubled since 1980, from
15 to 30 %
According to C.Q
researcher in 2010 1/3 of
children and 2/3 of adults
are obese or overweight
WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE?
Who is behind the food sustainability issues
in the U.S.?

The Industrial food industry
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The FDA
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The Fast food industry
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
What is the industrial food system? It the way of producing what we
eat, in mass quantities really fast, and really cheap thanks to
advances in technology.
The past 50 years have seen an
unprecedented rise in farming
productivity, encouraged by the
words, deeds and policies of people
like Earl Butz. More, faster, cheaper.
But this has come at a cost - to our
health, to our earth, and to our
once-thriving agricultural diversity.
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
Our industrial food system is characterized by, but not limited to:
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Thousands of acres of one crop (monocultures) prone to infestation and
disease
Liberal use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers - 5.1 billion pounds of
pesticides are used each year in the US, according to the EPA
A "dead zone" about the size of New Jersey in the Gulf of Mexico that many
believe results from excessive pesticide and fertilizer runoff
Large Congregated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) - often the size of
small cities. CAFOs congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead
animals, and production operations on a small land area.
Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise
seeking feed in pastures, fields, or on range land
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with unknown risks and
questionable benefits being used on ever-expanding acreage
Diminished diversity in seeds and species that increase overall systemic risk
to our food supply.
-”Fullcircle.com”
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
Quantity vs. Quality is it worth it?
 Raised
exposure to pesticides, GMOS, and
other chemicals
 higher risk for foodborne illnesses due to
unsanitary factory conditions and lack of
proper oversight and regulations
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
The industrial food system is under monitored and under regulated. A good
example is the popular Monsanto corn producers.
Case Study
Recently there was a study done on
rats who were fed either genetically
engineered corn (herbicide Roundup)
or a control group fed non modified corn
to see if there was an increased risk of
developing tumors, suffering organ damage
or dying prematurely
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
Results
 . The study found that in groups that ate the engineered corn,
up to 50 percent of the males and 70 percent of the females
died before they would have from normal aging, compared with
30 percent of the males and 20 percent of the females in the
control group.
 Some 50 to 80 percent of the female rats developed tumors
compared with only 30 percent of the controls. And there were
several times as many cases of liver and kidney injury in the
exposed rats.
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
Discrimination against independent farmers and ranchers
The corporate takeover of the meat industry is accelerating. In
1985, the top four pork-producing companies in the US accounted
for 32% of the market; by 1998 they controlled over 56%; by 2007
that share had risen to 66% (Hendrickson & Heffernan; USDA).
“Agriculture is the most
manipulated industry
on the planet.”
Fortune, 1990.
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
Discrimination against independent farmers and ranchers
“The food system is highly
efficient, but farmers and
ranchers world-wide are
increasingly squeezed by
monopoly,
monopsony and
economic power.”
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
The industrial food production system is controlled by only a handful of
corporations.
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By 2005, just four companies (Tyson, Cargill, Swift & Co., and National Beef
Packing) were slaughtering 83.5 percent of cows. That number has inched
up from 81 percent in 2000.
In hogs and chicken, the big are getting bigger even faster. In 2001, the top
four companies (Smithfield, Tyson, Swift & Co., and Cargill) killed 59 percent
of hogs. By 2005, that number had risen to 64 percent.
For chickens, just two companies — Tyson and Pilgrim’s Pride — kill 47
percent of birds. The top four companies control 58.5 percent of the market,
up from 50 percent in 2000.
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
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Problems with Quantity vs. Quality
The significant corporate
consolidation of global food
production has created
a food system that values
quantity over quality.
Every single decision a farmer,
or corporation, makes about
growing or raising a certain kind
of food affects the final product.
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
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Problems with Quantity vs. Quality the harm out-weighs the
benefits
A remarkable 80 percent of
antibiotics sold in the U.S.
are used not by humans,
but by the meat and poultry
industries so factory farm
animals can grow faster
and survive crowded and
unsanitary conditions.
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
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Problems with Quantity vs. Quality the harm out-weighs the
benefits, another example…
The chicken in 2008 and current chickens in the industrial food
industry are being injected with growth hormones to produce
bigger chickens with more white meat at a much faster rate, and
its not just chickens, other animals such as cows are also
effected.
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
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http://youtu.be/PVyxMXHbTio
INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM
what effect does this have on the consumer’s health?
It can disrupt the consumer's hormone balance
 cause developmental problems
 interfere with the reproductive system
 lead to the development of cancer
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THE FDA
The food and drug administration is also accountable
Because they are failing to properly regulate the food
Industry from lack of laws and regulations
.
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61 percent of U.S. adults feel the U.S.
food recall process is only fair or poor.
73 percent of adults say they are equally
as concerned about food
safety as the war on terror.
82 percent of adults believe that the
food industry should be required to
follow international standards on food
safety
THE FDA
Improperly regulating the food system
consumer warning: Thousands of brand-name grocery products are contaminated with
toxic chemicals and dangerous ingredients... Would you like to know which ones?
'Secretive' Chemicals Being Hidden in Food Under 'Artificial Flavors' Label
 Senomyx has contracted with Kraft, Nestle, Coca Cola, Campbell Soup to put a
chemical in foods that masks bitter flavors by turning off bitter flavor receptors
on the tongue and enhancing salty and sweet flavors.
 This would allow the companies to tout claims such as "less sugar" or "lower
sodium" by reducing the actual sugar and/or salt by approximately half, but
the foods will retain the same level of sweetness or saltiness when they touch
the tongue by fooling your brain.
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All of the companies, although admitting the exclusive contracting rights,
decline to identify which foods and beverages the chemical additives have
been or will be added to.
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These chemical compounds are not required to be listed separately on food
labels. On the contrary, they will be lobbed under the umbrella of "artificial
flavors" which is already found on most food labels.
#1 CUSTOMER OF THIS INDUSTRY
THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY IS ALSO ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR FOOD
SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IN THE U.S. BECAUSE THIS INDUSTRY IS THE
BIGGEST CUSTOMER TO THE INDUSTRIAL FOOD SYSTEM.
“McDonald's used to buy from over
100 regional ground-beef suppliers.
But as McDonald's got bigger and
bigger, they reduced that number to
five. So this had the impact of creating
bigger and bigger meatpacking
companies to supply the fast-food
chains. And in a very short period of
time, we got a very concentrated
meatpacking industry. If you were to
go back to 1970, the top four firms
controlled 20-plus percent of the
market. And today, the top four firms
control about 85 percent of the
market.
So we've gotten bigger
slaughterhouses, bigger processing
facilities, and really, really big
meatpacking companies.”
The slaughterhouses that the United
States have are pretty unique in terms
of the speed of production. We have
slaughterhouses that will process 300,
400 cattle an hour, which is as much
as twice as many as anywhere else in
the world. And it's that speed of
production that can lead to foodsafety problems.”
THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY
THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY
The industry calls this
method AMR - Advanced
Meat Recovery.
Once the "chicken" has
been processed, it has to
be soaked in ammonia
(to kill all the bacteria),
then flavoring is later
added
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Factory Farms can produce over 6 million pounds of animal waste per year. This
waste produces a lot of green house gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide
which not only aid to the greenhouse effect but also pollute the air and water
surrounding the factory.
PESTICIDES ON FOOD
According to the Toxic Release Inventory program,
out of the 27 most used pesticides 8 of these can cause
pregnancy issues, and approximately 150 million pounds of
just those 8 pesticides are used every year. The Library of
Medicine states that 15 of those most common pesticides can
cause gene problems,
and 350million pounds
of those are used yearly.
RESULTS FROM PESTICIDES
damage to the lungs
 failures of reproductive organs
 dysfunctions of the immune system
 potential cancer risks and birth defects.
 endocrine system
 exocrine system
 central nervous system
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ECONOMIC FACTORS
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While most people believe that our food comes fresh from farms all around
America the truth is that a good portion of our produce and meats gets
imported daily from other countries. In an attempt to get cheaper food it is
actually hurting American consumers because we are paying more for the
taxes applied to import the food.
As a direct result local packaging plants and farms have closed down
because they were unable to meet
the demands of the U.S.
consumer leaving more
Americans without a job
THE BIGGER PICTURE
major food corporations are overtaking the
markets and trampling all over smaller farmers
in the industry
 There is this “miracle method” of producing
food that the general public knows next to
nothing about
 American citizens simply continue to follow this
downward trend of consuming unhealthy
products and living unhealthy lifestyles
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MARKET MONOPOLY
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Vernon Hugh Bowman
94% of Indiana’s seed
is from Monsanto
“Technology Fee”
Monsanto ended up
winning $84,000 from
Bowman
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there must be restrictions
put on the patenting of
genetically engineered
products held by major
food corporations
Reduce the number of
years allowed for
government patents
Allows breathing room for
smaller farmers/growers
Promotes economy
GMO’S IN DEPTH
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“a living organism
(bacteria, plant, animal)
whose genetic
composition has been
altered by means of
gene technology”.
(Khan, 2012).
Calgene tomato- 1994
First commercialized
GM food product
GMO’S IN DEPTH
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GMO’s are developed
through a process of
“genetic transformation”,
also known as
“Polymerase Chain
Reaction” or PCR.
“Certified reference
materials” (CRMs) are
required for the PCR
process
Synthetic maize and soy
seed powders
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all created and imported
genetically modified
foods for consumption
should be put through a
practical biosafety
regulatory process based
on international and/or
FDA approved standards
Control ratio of synthetic
to natural DNA
Label GMO’s
DO YOUR PART
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Educate yourself about what you are eating
Cook at home/ don’t eat fast food
Support local farmers/growers
Proposition 37
http://youtu.be/RB1xHFwSYIg
KEVIN’S LAW