“The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World” by Michael Pollan

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Personal significance

Organic food is healthy because it is produced under healthy conditions and, therefore, does not pose a danger to human health. Both chapters are of immense significance to me and the people around me. It is not news that most health problems nowadays are as a result of poor eating habits. Health problems such as diabetes heart attacks, obesity and stroke, is all linked to eating habits in one way or another.

If everything consumed was produced through the natural way, perhaps the cases of health problems would reduce considerably. The quote, “all flesh is grass” is particularly true citing the processes involved. The cycle involves both animals and plants starting from the point where cattle graze on hay, and then the cow dung is serving as manure to the soil (Pollan 210). The poultry helps in the spreading of manure as the chicken looks for larvae to eat.

The hens also help in aerating the soil and eliminating the parasites. If anything is planted on this piece of land, it is obviously deemed to flourish. The chapter on “Big Organic” is highly informative and is related to people’s day to day lives. When buying food, many people are easily carried away by the packaging of the product. Many people do not pose to think about the content inside the package as long the package looks attractive.

The concept of grass farming

The concept of “grass farming” majorly talks about how animals and plants benefit from the natural process of organic farming. The grass grows in the field, and then the cattle feed on it while some grass is cut and stored for winter. As the cattle feed on hay, it leaves their droppings in the field, and these droppings also known as manure, is abundantly rich in soil nutrients.

The hens are then released to the field where they help spread the manure as they search for larvae to feed from the manure. The land is ready for planting after passing through these processes. The products are devoid of any harmful chemicals and, therefore, pose no danger to human bodies.

Grass farming is a different understanding of agriculture because everything about it is natural. There are no industrial chemicals involved. Apart from that, grass farming involves a truly unique cycle where both animals and plants benefit almost equally. There is no health complications involved in this particular farming.

Health and Environmental impacts of industrial organic

The impacts of industrial organic may be dire to animals and humans. First and foremost, the chemicals used are known to trigger illnesses such as cancer in human beings. Industrial organics cause other various health complications apart from cancer (Pollan 261).

Industrial organic poses a serious threat to the environment. The gases emanating from the processes involved during the production pollute the environment, in particular, air, which affects, in its turn, the living and non living things in the environment. The chemicals released as waste materials from the factories may find its way to the rivers nearby, therefore, killing the aquatic life.

Conclusion

To increase the production of organic foods, Pollan advocates for the domestication of animals. This is to mean that more animals should be reared and released to the fields such that the droppings produced as waste material increases. This, in turn, should evoke the increase of poultry to help in the spread of the manure. This aerates the soil and gives it the many needed nutrients. The nutrients nourish the plants that are grown.

The plants harvested are healthy and do not contain any industrial chemicals (Pollan 267). He goes ahead to say that food produced this way tastes very sweet. Industrial organic foods may have a pleasant taste but not as good as organic foods. The poultry involved in the production of organic foods tastes delicious.

This is because of the fact that it feeds on the larvae. In other words, the hens do not feed on any harmful chemicals hence taste natural. Pollan also notes that nowadays people feed on fast foods that are full of industrial chemicals. For instance, most the chicken delicacies eaten in fast food joints nowadays is mostly injected with chemicals that accelerate the growth of the chicken.

There are chemicals meant to accelerate the growth of poultry. These chemicals are a significant contribution to the lifestyle disorders witnessed in recent times. For instance obesity is a disorder associated with the consumption of junk food. Junk food is sometimes referred to as processed foods. Pollan argues that obesity issues are as a result of the abundance of foods available in the market today.

There are a lot of processed foods available in the market such that one is spoilt for choice. The green grocery stores are not frequented by buyers as often as junk food stores. This is a clear indication that most people ignorantly prefer to eat industrially processed food instead of organic foods (Pollan 256). Some people may be forgiven for not knowing the dangers of consuming industrial organic foods. However, the sad fact is that people continue to consume the industrial foods while aware of its dangers to human health.

Works Cited

Pollan, Michael. The omnivore’s dilemma: the search for a perfect meal in a fast- food world. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007. Print.

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"“The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World” by Michael Pollan." IvyPanda, 6 Nov. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/food/.

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IvyPanda. 2018. "“The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World” by Michael Pollan." November 6, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/food/.

1. IvyPanda. "“The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World” by Michael Pollan." November 6, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/food/.


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IvyPanda. "“The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World” by Michael Pollan." November 6, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/food/.

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