Kateland Ferraz

April 13th, 2015

AP Language & Composition
Food Matters Essay Prompt
Growing up, I always knew there was corruption in the food system. From the
chicken nugget-slime scandal at McDonalds to the Salmonella outbreaks, I always knew,
but I never actually cared. I never cared enough to look into where my food was coming
from or how it was produced. Taste and price were my thought process in choosing food
while walking down the aisles of Giant. After watching the documentaries Fresh and
Dive!, and reading various articles, I am left writing this essay informed, disappointed,
and a tad bit disgusted. Disgusted by the horrific treatment of livestock, disappointed at
the amount of food we as a country let go to waste, informed about the two factors I had
never cared about, and statistics about food in general.
Fresh was a great contribution to my shift in perspective of food. Having shown
both farmers who treat their livestock poorly and those who treat them as actual animals
made a clear path for forming opinions. Industrialization and standardization are
increasing in agriculture. It is applied to almost everything, including farming, but that
doesnt necessarily mean it works on everything. (Fresh) An example of this would be
the machines used in factories, the same machines cows are being dangled from by one
leg. Relating to standardization, Joel Salatin from Swoope Virginia, is one of the few
farmers who respects the design of nature (Fresh) breeding his cows with food they
should be eating such as grass, and not corn, which is a common practice for other
farmers. Upon learning this, I was shocked that big companies alter these animals diets
to bulk them up even faster, resulting in larger and numerous quantities.

In regards to the documentary Dive, beforehand I assumed that some of the

leftover food would be taken to homeless shelters until I learned that 90 billions pounds
of food are thrown away every year. (Dive!) The battle of what is just vs. what is legal
(Dive!) never crossed my mind, as I thought that the right thing was to give away the
food to those who needed it. Apparently not, according to Trader Joes and other grocery
stores that lock up dumpsters to let food rot rather than give it away. The fact that he
pulled out a years supply of meat from one week of dumpster diving (Dive!) shocked me
and made me reflect how much I wasted at home. After watching this, I reexamined the
role of food to me and concluded that next time I go shopping, waste not, want not.
(Dive!)
An article written by Roberta Mazzucco about Where Our Food Comes From,
states not only where our food is coming from, but also what is put into it. The fact that
stood out to me the most was the use of additives in foods to ..make them look, taste, or
feel better. (Mazzucco) The use of additives to preserve food is simply due to the time
it takes to transport foods from the feed lot to the local Giant, (Mazzucco) or so thats
what its portrayed to be. Upon reading her article, I realized that locally grown food is
the most beneficial choice in regards to my health. A statement that can be found in both
Fresh and Dive as well.

Aside from this being a learning experience, it has also impacted my eating

habits. I think twice about the food I eat now. I even encouraged my parents to shop
locally. I now think its incredibly important to know what you are putting into your
body, and education like this is a great way to start.


Works Cited
Fresh. Dir. Ana S. Joanes. Perf. Joel Salatin. Ripple Effect Films, 2009. Documentary.
Dive! Dir. Jeremy Seifert. Perf. Jeremy Seifert. Compeller Pictures, 2010.
Documentary.
Mazzucco, Roberta. "From the Farm to Your Table: Where Does Our Food Come
From?" Yale.edu. Yale New Haven Teachers Institue, 1997. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1997/7/97.07.07.x.html>.