Observatoire du Management Alternatif
Alternative Management Observatory
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Fiche de lecture
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Michael Pollan
2006
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Jie ZHU – November 2010
Majeure Alternative Management – HEC Paris – 2010-2011
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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Le Dilemme des Omnivores - Une histoire naturelle de quatre
repas
Cette fiche de lecture a été réalisée dans le cadre du cours « Grands défis planétaires »
donné par Denis Bourgeois, David Khoudour-Castéras et Thanh Nghiem au sein de la
Majeure Alternative Management, spécialité de troisième année du programme Grande Ecole
d’HEC Paris.
Penguin Books, New York, 2007
Première date de parution de l’ouvrage : 2006
Résumé : Le Dilemme des Omnivores traite de la relation entre les êtres humains et la
nourriture. Présenté dans une combinaison d'expériences de première main et de la pensée,
l’ouvrage de Pollan dévoile les secrets de la production alimentaire industrielle moderne et de
l'agriculture biologique à grande échelle. Ses histoires nous donnent un aperçu de la chaîne
alimentaire moderne commencée avec le maïs à bon marché et abondante.
Mots-clés : Nourriture biologique, Maïs, Production alimentaire industrielle, Agriculture
The Omnivore’s Dilemma-A natural history of four meals
This review was presented in the « Global challenges » course of Denis Bourgeois, David
Khoudour-Castéras and Thanh Nghiem. This course is part of the “Alternative Management”
specialization of the third-year HEC Paris business school program.
Penguin Books, New York, 2007
Date of first publication: 2006
Abstract: The Omnivore’s Dilemma talks about the relationship between the human beings
and the food. Presented in a combination of first hand experiences and thinking, Pollan’s book
reveals the secrets of modern industrial food production and large-scale organic farming. His
stories give us an insight of the real modern food chain that begins with the cheap and
abundant corn.
Key words : Organic food, Corn, Industrial food production, Agriculture
Charte Ethique de l'Observatoire du Management Alternatif
Les documents de l'Observatoire du Management Alternatif sont publiés sous licence Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/fr/ pour promouvoir l'égalité de partage des ressources intellectuelles
et le libre accès aux connaissances. L'exactitude, la fiabilité et la validité des renseignements ou opinions
diffusés par l'Observatoire du Management Alternatif relèvent de la responsabilité exclusive de leurs auteurs.
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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Contents
1. The author and his work ..................................................................................................... 4
1.1.
A brief biography of the author .................................................................................... 4
1.2.
Place of the work in the author’s life ........................................................................... 4
2. Summary of the book ........................................................................................................... 5
2.1
General outline of the book .......................................................................................... 5
2.2
Main points of reasoning and principal conclusions .................................................... 6
3. Critical comments ................................................................................................................ 9
3.1
Other authors’ opinion on the book.............................................................................. 9
3.2
Review’s author’s opinion on the book........................................................................ 9
4. Author’s bibliography........................................................................................................ 11
5. References ........................................................................................................................... 12
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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1. The author and his work
1.1.
A brief biography of the author
Michael Pollan is an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at
the University of California, Berkeley. Born on February 6, 1955 in New York, he holds a
bachelor degree of Bennington College and a mater degree of Colombia University. Up till
now he has published six books most of which focus on the relationship between nature and
the human kind. His latest four books about food have made him The News York Times
bestseller. With The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he has won five book awards on 2007.
For most of his career time, Michael Pollan has been writing books and essays about “the
places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in the
built environment.”1 Besides that, he is also a contributing writer for the New York Times
Magazine, and a former executive editor for Harper's Magazine.
1.2.
Place of the work in the author’s life
The Omnivore’s Dilemma was first published in United States of America in 2006 and is
named one of the ten best books of the year by both The New York Times and the
Washington Post. It is a deep and revolutionary analysis of American way of eating, a
combination of first-hand experiences and scientific facts. The book has four hundred and
fifty pages in total and is mainly divided into three parts in which the author talks about
industrial, pastoral and personal food. With people getting used to the industrial way of
choosing food, this book pushes us to rethink the relationship between food, money and
human beings. The author talks a lot about the work of Paul Rozin, whose research on food
selection behavior may form the basis of Michael Pollan’s writing.
1
“About Michael Pollan”, Michael Pollan, http://michaelpollan.com/press-kit/ December 1, 2010
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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2. Summary of the book
2.1
General outline of the book
INTRODUCTION Our National Eating Disorder
I-
Industrial – corn
- The Plant: Corn’s Conquest
- The Farm
- The Elevator
- The Feedlot: Making Meat
- The processing Plant: Making Complex Food
- The Meal: Fast Food
II- Pastoral- grass
- All Flesh Is Grass
- Big Organic
- Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pasture
- The animals: Practicing Complexity
- Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir
- The Market: “Greetings From the Non-Barcode People”
- The Meal: Grass Fed
III- Personal – The Forest
- The Forager
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma
- The Ethics of Eating Animals
- Hunting: The Meat
- Gathering: The Fungi
- The Perfect Meal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SOURCES
INDEX
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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2.2
Main points of reasoning and principal conclusions
In today’s world where industrial food has a dominating role, Michael Pollan is one of the
few who ask straightforward questions about what we should have for diner as omnivores.
Through his eyes, we see how the American government “forces” its citizens to chase after
cheep and tasteless food.
The human beings are corn
In recent decades, the food production chain has been accelerated to nourish more people
on less land and in shorter period of time. So American farms are now covered with corn,
cheap corn. Michael Pollan takes us to discover the food chain begun by corn which ends up
in almost all kinds of food the market provides to its clients. Corn is a species that can easily
survive and maintain more energy in the same conditions than other kinds of crops. Because
of that, if the animals are fed with corn, they grow faster. The American government clearly
sees the advantage of growing corn to make meat, instead of subsidize the farmers; they
provide allowance to the corn. Only farmers who grow corn can receive that sum of aid. The
result of the policy is the cheap price and large scale of production of corn.
In order to get this abundant corn, American farmers work hard on larger land with
expensive help like Monsanto’s Round Up seeds. They forget about the quality of the corns
they grow, the only thing they care about now is the number of bushels they produce. It is the
government’s policy who turns the corn into a commodity more than a kind of food. The
planters of corn are now the so called “agribusiness man”, but what did they get by the change?
Pollan spent some time with a normal American cultivator of corn, George Naylor, in his
farm. Through his first-hand experience, we get to know how the farmers of today are heavily
in debt to cultivate this cheapest cereal ever. Though the corn they harvested can feed more
people than before, they can barely feed their families with the little revenue they get. In
addition to that, Pollan observed that the fertilizers have polluted the environment and the
solo-specie way of cultivation has left the soil barren. Apparently, the government didn’t
point out the right way.
When we go down the industrial food chain with Pollan, all we can see is that the corn is
everywhere in our food. From the corn syrup in Coca-cola, to the corn fed beef of a burger, of
the forty five thousands items in an American supermarket, more than a quarter contain corn.
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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Now the Americans have more corn in their bodies than their Mexican counterparts. Besides,
the cheap corn gave a boon to the fast food industry, which changes its fries and cola into
larger size with a slight augment of price. All Homo sapiens have in their genes the ability to
eat 30% more, and together with the larger portion of food, the United States is becoming, in
Pollan’s words, “a republic of fat”2.
The American food industry grows with the cheap corn and the boom of processed foods.
People today are in favor of the tastes, figures or colors of the processed food, some of them
may forget how the real food tastes like. Even the cream or butter could be artificial. The
processed food industry has turned an inelastic demand, eating, into an elastic one. The magic
fact of the processed food is that one won’t feel full after eating. Now people are becoming
consuming machines which chew endless all day with no awareness of what they eat. As long
as people buy, no one cares about the consumers’ health. In a commercial world full of
industrial food, one always wants to have some real organic food.
A dream of organic farming
With the growing popularity of organic food, different kinds of markets, labels and brands
are developed to guarantee a safe and tasty experience of the food. But no matter how
beautiful the picture on the cover of the food may look like, or how the story about the farm
may touch the consumers, the organic food may not be so organic at all. Michael Pollan
developed his dream of pure organic farming into two parts, one is the insight of a large scale
organic food production, and the other is a fascinating experience of raising livestock at
Polyface Farm, a small scale organic farm.
The first part reveals the truth of the corporations like The whole foods. These so called
organic farms who talk about pasture life of their animals are just exaggerating. The “big
organic”3 is only a slightly modified version of industrial production, in which chickens are
living under equal circumstances as their industrial counterparts. The chickens may have
access to the outdoors but only two weeks before their final day, and in this period of time,
these chickens are just too afraid to go out. The second part is a journal of Pollan’s several
weeks spent at the Polyface Farm as an organic food producer. The owner of the farm, Joel
Salatin, is a true believer of organism. He refused to deliver a piece of steer to Pollan because
delivering food across the country is not organic. His way of farming proves how nature
2
Pollen, Michael (2007). The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York, Penguin
Books
3
Pollen, Michael (2007). The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York, Penguin
Books
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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favors the mutual help between the animals, between the herbivores and the grass, and
between the grass and the whole environment. The meat and eggs produced at Polyface are
much tastier than those of industrial farms. Even if these truly organic foods are more
expensive and take a little longer to grow, in Pollan’s opinion, it’s worth the money and time.
Meanwhile, by counting environment damage, health problems, and the corn subsidies, the
real cost of the industrial food is a lot more expensive than it seems to be.
The omnivore’s dilemma
In the last section of the book, Pollan talks about his experiment to make a meal consisted
of things he hunted or gathered himself. Before his hunting journey began, he asked himself
whether or not to continue eating meat, as many of us did as omnivores. But stuck in the
Omnivore’s dilemma, his answer is “either to look away or give up meat”4 From his point of
view, it’s not the fact that we eat meat that is cruel; it is if we don’t treat the animals with
respect they deserve.
In the following parts, the author hunted feral pigs, gathered wild mushrooms, and
searched for abalone. Though it took him long to prepare food for the diner, he enjoyed the
slow journey of experiencing the nature. For the author, it’s both unrealistic to live on the fast
food or on the hunted gathered food. Eating is a mixture of both family tradition and culture,
and should be respected. He reminds us of the importance of asking ourselves what we are
eating, where does the food come from and how did it come to the table. For clearly knowing
our food is the best way to understand the true cost of it. Facing with the omnivore’s dilemma
of not knowing what to eat, the author said: “however we choose to feed ourselves, we eat by
the grace of nature, not industry”5.
4
Pollen, Michael (2007). The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York, Penguin
Books
5
Pollen, Michael (2007). The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York, Penguin
Books
ZHU Jie– Fiche de lecture : «The Omnivore’s Dilemma» – November 2010
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3. Critical comments
3.1
Other authors’ opinion on the book
Most of other authors’ opinions of this book are positive. “I doubt that there is a book
which succeeds more than The Omnivore' s Dilemma – with its richness of information,
eloquence of address, and integrity of moral purpose – in rendering visible, and presenting for
a "different" style of ethical reflection, that "profound engagement" with our world which
eating represents.” 6as David E. Cooper said in The Times Literary Supplement. This book
earned its audience by its clear and entertaining way of writing and the facts it revealed of the
American food industry.
Meanwhile, some pointed out its shortage on the lack of attention to the evolution of
human behavior, which scholars are interested in. “It is clear that Pollan understands the
importance of evolution, yet his discussion of evolved human psychology and behavior is
minimal at best.”7 The New York Times Book Review criticized that Pollan was being too
nice, that his position against the industrial food production is not firm enough.
As for The New Yorker, Pollan revealed the bad effects of the modern food industry but
forgot about the advantages of it. If it is not for the modern food industry, “about two billion
people will perish”8. It is also an established world order that the food is produced in largescale farms with meat fed by cheap corn. The small-scale and more expensive food will
require a much smaller population on the earth. In the author’s opinion, it’s not wrong to let
people get a vision of the world through what they eat but after all it’s just a meal.
3.2
Review’s author’s opinion on the book
This book is a wake-up call of what we should eat. Through the book, Pollan reveals step
by step the secrets of the American food industry, how the government decided to feed its
people in an accelerated, unhealthy and non eco-friendly way. Pollan’s funny writing has
6
Cooper D.E. 2006 “The anxiety of eating”, The Times Literary Supplement,
http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/the-anxiety-of-eating/ December 1, 2010
7
McKibbin W.F. Shackelford T.K., 2007, “The omnivore’s dilemma” Human Ethology Bµulletin
http://www.toddkshackelford.com/downloads/McKibbin-Shackelford-HEB.pdf December 1, 2010
8
Shapin S. 2006. “Paradise Sold: what are you buying when you buy organic?” The New Yorker,
http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/paradise-sold-what-are-you-buying-when-you-buy-organic/ December 1,
2010
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made this book easy to read and hard to put down. He suggests the small-scale organic
farming as an alternative to today’s industrial cultivation and to the similar production of
large-scale organic food. He reminds the readers to think of the real price of the food they buy.
Including the corn subsidies, the environment damage and the health problems, the industrial
food is too expensive to afford. Meantime, the small-scale organic food are slight more
expensive in terms of price, but the real cost to the whole community is less.
Michael Pollan considers the small-scale organic production farm where the circle of life is
beautifully formed as a favorable plan to the sustainable development. He promotes the idea
of getting local produced food to reduce transportation pollution. In his opinion, organic food
is beneficial to both the consumer and the community as a whole.
Nevertheless, it is hard to at the same time satisfy the hungry population of the world and
to maintain a healthy level of food quality. The small scale organic farms take longer time to
produce, as a result, can feed less people. But Michael Pollan has stood out and called our
attention to the deep food problem. It is better to see it and think about the solution than not
knowing it at all.
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4. Author’s bibliography
Books
•
1991- Second Nature: A Gardener's Education, New York, Atlantic Monthly Press, 320 p
•
1997- Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder, New York, Random
House, 336p
•
2001- The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, New York, Random
House, 271 p
•
2006- The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, New York, Penguin
Press, 450p
•
2008- In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, New York, Penguin Press, 256p
•
2009- Food Rules: An Eater's Manual, New York, Penguin Press, 112p
Essays
•
April, 1997-"Opium Made Easy". Harper's.
•
July 19, 2002- "When a Crop Becomes King". The New York Times.
•
November 10, 2002-"An Animal's Place". The New York Times.
•
June 4, 2006- "Mass Natural". The New York Times.
•
June 11, 2006-"Six rules for eating wisely". Time magazine.
•
January 28, 2007- "Unhappy Meals". The New York Times.
•
April 22 2007- "You Are What You Grow". The New York Times.
•
December 16, 2007- "Our Decrepit Food Factories". The New York Times.
•
April 20, 2008- "Why bother?" The New York Times.
•
October 9, 2008- "An Open Letter to the Farmer in Chief". The New York Times.
•
(July 29, 2009- "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch". The New York Times.
•
September 9, 2009 -"Big Food vs. Big Insurance". The New York Times.
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5. References
• “About Michael Pollan”, Michael Pollan, http://michaelpollan.com/press-kit/ December 1,
2010
• Cooper D.E. 2006 “The anxiety of eating”, The Times Literary Supplement,
http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/the-anxiety-of-eating/ December 1, 2010
• McKibbin W.F. Shackelford T.K., 2007, “The omnivore’s dilemma” Human Ethology
Bulletin,
http://www.toddkshackelford.com/downloads/McKibbin-Shackelford-HEB.pdf
December 1, 2010.
• Shapin S. 2006. “Paradise Sold: what are you buying when you buy organic?” The New
Yorker,
http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/paradise-sold-what-are-you-buying-when-you-
buy-organic/ December 1, 2010
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