Supermarkets are the best places to see the declining influence of nature in our lives. The vast variety of edibles kept here for sale is entirely processed under the close expertise of men. In fact, all of this has been brought in consonance with the machinery of capitalism. The items, which are most compatible with capitalism for being processed, flourish here and others become the history. One can see the various manifestations of the mode of the modern economy here. The sheen of artificiality to persuade us of the genuineness of each eatable is obvious. In an attempt to churn out new varieties of eatable, molecules are maneuvered from the same plants. Corn has tremendously been able to fit itself to the vicissitudes of capitalism.
American supermarket seems to be irrelevant to nature because of its artificial ornamental nature. It is all but man-made. It is not just some sections of the market but the whole one looks like this. However, when we see the produce wet with dew, nature comes to the fore. There are various other produce sections out there. Even the meat, which is placed in the market, seems to be losing the imprints of nature, as it is boneless and entirely processed out of human hands. It is cut into systematic shapes. In the flora and fauna section, one need not become a naturalist but essentially a food scientist. If we go further, it is extremely difficult to even identify the species. Cereal, peas, snacks; soft drinks have entirely undergone see changes and are quite a travesty of their original.
If all it is seen through the prism of a naturalist, the first impression that this entire scene conveys is that it is abound with biodiversity. Plants and animals have been placed here for human consumption. Even this market rivals some natural places like forests when seen from the prism of biodiversity. Hundreds of diverse species are lying in the produce section and the same is the case with meat corners. One can only see this diversity increasing with greater advancement. Many new species have made their way here, which were not seen a few years back. The foreign species have captured the markets. Naturalists pay great deferential to biodiversity.
Every eatable placed here is just a link in the food chain, which is very long, and sometimes beyond comprehension. For the processed foods, one must have ecological instincts. The foods kept here are of so much complex nature that one needs the assistance of experts to pick and choose. The ecology of the foods is so much emphasized here that one begins to think of what ones’ were about. If one starts finding the origins of these foods, one must travel thousands of miles away from the supermarket and even to other continents.
Corn has become an integral part of many edibles. If we, take chicken nuggets along with soft drinks, corn is a must which we will be galloping and placing in our tummy. All of the processed foods have the same ingredient. It happened especially after 80s’.
There are thousands of items here and one-fourth of them are littered with corn in some way or other. It is in so much quantity that we can be dubbed as corn people. The supermarket has beautifully convinced us of the originality of the species both old and new. So many items are making their way into the market, and we are convinced in a very lucid style that everything here is new and not the manipulation of the molecules taken from the same plants. We consider ourselves very clever; but corn seems to be cleverer than has dominated our lives so successfully.
Once the white men brought their own species along with them to entirely colonize these lands but corn has done exactly opposite to it. It has certain traits, which help it to survive and adapt to every climate. Even a prominent write says that corn helped to a great extent the settlers in the domination process as they knew all the potentials and secrets of it, they were no longer in need of the help of the native Americans. It has a dual function that of food and commodity, which changed it from subsistence to market. Though the plant has been able to survive in a number of habitats its most important distinction is to live and compete successfully in the supermarket. It has adapted itself now to machines by growing according to their own peculiar requirements.