Politics of Food

     At first, when beginning this unit on the politics of food, I didn't think I would particularly like it or even enjoy it. Now that I've gained so much more knowledge on this topic it's really made me more curious on the way our food is manufactured and where it comes from.  It's important for us to know what we are consuming because it is our bodies that we are protecting.
     When watching Food Inc. I was so surprised on the way the animals were treated.  I knew it happened in some cases but I didn't realize the severity of it.  I know these animals are raised to be slaughtered but I feel they should at least be treated well. In the movie it also discusses how a little boy died from an E. Coli outbreak from a hamburger he ate.  This is scary to me because it's like you never know what you may be consuming that could potentially kill you.
     Wendell Berry's article, "The Pleasures of Eating" was also an eye opener for me.  When Berry discussed our freedom and how we need to know everything about how our food is made and what exactly we are consuming, I completely agreed with him.  We aren't free if other people are manufacturing our food and not telling us how it was made and what exactly is in it.  We are left guessing when we should be informed because it is our right.
      Overall, this unit taught me to be more aware of what I'm eating.  It has motivated me to make healthier choices and take the extra time to find out what is in my food.  Living a healthy life has a lot to do with the food you are consuming on a daily basis and being completely aware of where it came from.