Friday, April 26, 2013

Quote of the Day

“The problem with technology merging with food production is that it often hasn't been applied in the interest of health and nutrition but manufacturing efficiency and food industry profits."

 Melanie Warner,  author of Pandora's Lunchbox


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The question is that the use of technology in food production actually do create healthy and nutritious food. Besides that, it is absolutely necessary to produce enough food and minimize the harm to environment. Socialists should base their position in science not in reactionary propaganda. I am so disgusted with obscurantism in leftists circles.

ajohnstone said...

To a great degree i think members of the SPGB would agree with you. Where would we be without pasteurisation? There has always been efforts to end adulteration of foods ever since the German beer laws of the middle ages.

But i would also suggest that there is now a preponderance of evidence that processed foods contain too much fat, too much sugar and too much salt to the detriment of good healthy eating. Much of the food wasted is due to supermarket cosmetic reasons of appearance rather than quality. Shelf-life has replaced taste as the deciding factor in what to sell. Although improved packaging and storage eliminates seasonal shortages.

But your point is well taken. We do rather ignore the technological advances made and high-light the failings of the capitalist market. Without the Green Revolution the increased population would have suffered shortages but instead we have a world surplus of food.